"Coming to America"

Today I was listening to my Neil Diamond CDs . . . preparing for the concert we are going to at Fenway Park . . .

As I sang along with “America” . . . it really hit me . . . and I started to cry . . . thinking about all of my ancestors who came to this country . . . to give their families a better life . . . the struggles and sacrifices they made . . .

And then my mind immediately went to the people who have come here in my lifetime . . . and people that are still coming . . . and people that want to come . . .

I thought of all their struggles and sacrifices . . . of what so many have gone through to come here . . . to this wonderful country of ours . . . the country I was so fortunate to be born in . . . without having the struggles and sacrifices . . .

It made me think . . . why was I so fortunate . . . and why should my country try to keep people out . . . people who just want a better life . . . people who are willing to do some of the hardest jobs . . . people who actually make my life better by their coming here . . .

Our country needs to find a way to help people who want to be here . . . help them come without climbing fences . . . sneaking over borders . . . and all the other things that make their coming here so much harder . . .

What right do we have to keep people out . . . we DON'T . . . we’re all in this life together . . . and we need to BE in it together . . .

'

We need to welcome people who want to come to "America" . . . people who are hardworking . . . and just want a better life for themselves and their families . . .

I will never sing these words again without thinking of all these people . . . and especially my daughter-in-law, Ileana . . . she and her family know about the struggles and sacrifices it took to come here . . .

Far
We've been traveling far
Without a home
But not without a star

Free
Only want to be free
We huddle close
Hang on to a dream

On the boats and on the planes
They're coming to America
Never looking back again
They're coming to America

Home, don't it seem so far away
Oh, we're traveling light today
In the eye of the storm
In the eye of the storm

Home, to a new and a shiny place
Make our bed, and we'll say our grace
Freedom's light burning warm
Freedom's light burning warm

Everywhere around the world
They're coming to America
Every time that flag's unfurled
They're coming to America

Got a dream to take them there
They're coming to America
Got a dream they've come to share
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
Today, today, today, today, today

My country 'tis of thee
Today
Sweet land of liberty
Today
Of thee I sing
Today
Of thee I sing
Today
'