America is no longer a country of immigrants. This unfortunate situation has nothing to do with borders or immigration policies, but the death of the spirit that made this country great.
The word immigrant has been ruined by politicization. When we think of immigrant we tend to see the poor and the wretched. many immigrants in fact are poor and wretched—that's why they're immigrating.
On the political left we hear about the tragedies of immigrants as they came to America and on the political right we hear about the criminalities of immigrants as they come to America.
On this episode I'll be attempting to rejuvenate that spirit for you through poetry. Our two poems today are both by the Kipling of America, Berton Braley. "Opportunity" And "The Pioneers."
And although we are no longer the nation of immigrants, in this episode, through the story of one of Americas most important modern immigrants, I will show you how to instill the spirit of a true emigrant and pioneer.