Response to Someplace like America (Bruce Springsteen)

A Response to Bruce Springsteen’s Some Place like America

Alex Etienne

           

After reading the introduction to “Some place like America”, I was extremely interested in what it was discussing and quite frankly would have continued to read if it was all provided.  It really takes an in depth look at what America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, is truly about and what it is currently like seen through the eyes of the “workin’ man”.  Also, the story looks at economical aspects as well.  What the economy has and is still currently doing to your typical United States citizen.  As a result of a fluctuating economy here in America, many people are left with hardly any materials at all and talk about what it is like to live in poverty.

            As I read, I could not help but notice the section in which Springsteen wrote, “As Michael and I traveled over the years, we didn’t seek out individuals who offered polemics or who were absorbed in politics.  We simply listened to Americans who were in trouble because of the economy.  In our interviews with workers, some people appeared to be liberal, others conservative, but most were apparently in that amorphous middle.”  This portion of the text in my opinion was crucial to the study performed.  You need to involve people from all walks of life when conducting an “experiment” if you will, just so you can really get a true, beneficial idea of how everyone feels about a specific matter.  When it comes to politics, people everywhere tend to feel different about specific issues considering our country and its policies.  But, the fact of the matter is, we are all living together and honestly, we should all be working toward a common goal: preparing our nation for the road ahead;  and trust me, it will be an extremely bumpy one at best. 

            Discussing what we want our nation to turn into in the future and how we will get there is something that is and should be highlighted on a frequent basis.  Why is this an important issue?  Because the decisions we make now will reflect the decisions we are making ten, twenty, thirty, even one hundred years from now.