When I step back and look at all the privileges I have, it doesn't take long to feel so thankful for those activists who came before my time to give me such freedoms. It's incredible to see just how much things have changed for women, children, minorities... human beings! I feel like a lot of times I/we take all these changes for granted, but it's always good to reflect and again, just be thankful for them!!
The first thing I'm thankful for is the opportunity to be in this country! How awesome is it that I was able to legally come to the U.S. with my family [from Brazil] so that we could live a better life? This is a change that is still undergoing (immigration/legalization laws) but that changes and opportunities that are available right now have made it possible for me to live here and go to school with you all :)
Religious freedom. I can't imagine living in a country where I couldn't worship my God, pray, read the Word, without being persecuted. Not only am I able to do that, but others around me, no matter what religion, are able to freely practice their beliefs without fearing for their lives.
Worker's rights. I couldn't imagine working 60 hours a week and getting paid close to nothing with no benefits. I couldn't imagine my workplace not being liable in any sort of form, or offer any sort of compensation for any injuries that occurred in the work place. I can't imagine living with the burden of discrimination by my employer because of my ethnicity, age or gender.... The work place and its laws have come a long way...
I'm happy the FDA exists! Establishing laws to control food and cosmetics look a lot of research and lobbying! I'm honestly glad someone somewhat controls what companies put into things i'm consuming... I can't imagine society today without regulations of our food and drugs! I think even more people would be dying of cancer and even more people would be addicted to crazy drugs...
Environmental laws are super important. I actually think our generation is/is going to play an important role in continuing to enforce and perhaps better these laws. If they weren't in place, our world would be depleted from natural resources even more than we already are!! God only knows if we would even be able to sustain ourselves if no regulation of chemicals, etc were in place. I'm thankful for that! And also hopeful these laws will continue to help save the planet we live in...
I think us as a people, a society have been in a long journey to improve our way of living and making it fair/equal for all of us. Improving the lives of everyone for the best. Slowly but surely we'll get close to where we want to be.... :) and it's up to us to be that change we want to see in the world!
Vanessa, I loved your blog because it showed how appreciated you are to the people around us that made these wonderful changes and without it, we could've suffered! I wish one day we become like these heroic people. I'm thankful too about the immigration and legalization laws. I feel that this country has adopted us, all ethnics, with a warm heart.
ReplyDeletewoot! I love it.(to put it simply) You have a unique vantage point since you moved to the states. Although I'm not sure the differences in our rights compared to the rights of the people of Brazil, but I do know that I take lots of these rights for granted. The simple things that I don't think too much about are really blessings. Like you said, its been a long road, and the exciting part is that WE are the ones doing the paving now!
ReplyDeleteI love your enthusiasm as well as your appreciation for our country and the laws we have. Your optimistic view gives hope to others and being around you, I become motivated to help this world change and become better. Keep up the great attitude!
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