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Springfield, Missouri

written by REO Speedwagon

Hi friends, here I stand here in Springfield, Missouri…half way between Chicago and Fort Worth, at the intersection of Route 66 and the Trail of Tears. I have always been fascinated by the history of US 66, but am only recently learning of the Trail of Tears. Sadly, some parts of the American story receive less attention than others.

While I love that Route 66 symbolizes the era of my youth and the connection between the Midwest and the West, the Trail of Tears is a sobering reminder of the Native Americans who were forcibly removed from their homeland in the Southeastern U.S., and displaced to lands west of the Mississippi River.

America has always been a land of both boundless opportunity and unimaginable subjugation. But this is a time for all Americans to find common ground and to respect one another, including those who are different from ourselves. That is my prayer for our country. Much love…kc