Letter: New citizen weeps for wonder and beauty of this great country
After living and working in this country for almost 50 years, I finally applied and was sworn in last month as a citizen of the United States.
My family prodded, pushed, put my info online, and grilled me on citizenship questions, though I only got six easy ones — questions for old folks.
Probably only an old, born-and-bred Canadian might understand why it took me so long. And while I feared I might shed a few tears during the ceremony at the thought of “losing” Canada, I was wrong. My few silent tears were for the wonder and the beauty of this great country that is now mine.
Yes, Virginia, this is a great country! Don’t let any know-nothing tell you otherwise. And as long as we go forward every year, and not backward, we’ll be even greater!
Which brings me to one of the duties of an American citizen: voting. Every voting cycle is important — state, local, and federal, especially this year, 2016. Black votes matter, brown votes matter, white votes matter, all votes matter. It’s up to voters. I’m already registered to vote. Are you?
Elizabeth Koski, Richland
This story was originally published July 9, 2016 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letter: New citizen weeps for wonder and beauty of this great country."