The House I Live In

I have been meaning to write about what I have seen in the news of late, but life and work have interfered. Where they do not, cynicism has taken over. So for today, this two-hundred-and-thirty-third anniversary of our Nation's declaration of independence, I decided to turn for inspiration, to one man who reminds me of what it means to be an American.

“The House I Live In” was a 10-minute short film, written by Albert Maltz and produced by Frank Ross and Mervyn LaRoy in 1945. It was intended to promote ethnic tolerance at the end of World War II. The film won an Honorary Academy Award in 1946, and the Library of Congress included it in the National Film Registry in 2007, for its great cultural significance.

But most important of all, it starred Frank Sinatra singing the title song. Who better to look to for inspiration on a day like today? With lyrics by Lewis Allen (aka Abel Meeropol) and music by Earl Robinson, the song became a national hit for Old Blue Eyes, who continued to sing it at Fourth of July tributes in the decades to come (including in this later clip with Neil Diamond).

And why not? For those of us who believe in America as a nation under God, it says it all. I won’t feel so cynical after this. If you listen closely, neither will you.

God bless America. HOO-rah.
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