Landscape of the American People

     In Lane's article, "Landscapes of the Sacred," he quoted Ortega y Gasset on the first page.  Gasset says,
             "Tell me the landscape in which you live and I will tell you who you are."
     This quote is a sort of "hidden" definition of the American people.  Our land defines us. The space in which we live continues to shape us throughout our entire life. If someone asks from where I am, and I say Minnesota, to them I am Minnesotan, but more importantly I am American. Americans celebrate the 4th of July, we are proud of our ownership of land, and we are proud that blood has been shed for us to keep our land.  It is easy to take all of these American traditions of loving our land into account but only "go through the motions." However, if one stops and thinks about it, Americans value land very highly, and it is more than a monetary value.  Americans value land as a symbol of hope too.  In Lane's article, he also quotes Wallace Stegner, who says,
          "We...need that wild country...even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can  
             be...a part of the geography of hope."
    In early centuries, the open land of America was a symbol of hope, a symbol of a new and better life for the pioneers.  Now that our country is developed, the open land is still a symbol of hope, but a hope for something else.  Our open land has been preserved in National Forests and State Parks.  There is a reason people value this land, but I think if you asked everyone, you would get different responses as to why this open space means so much.  To me the open land is a symbol of freedom - the wildlife is free, and the tourists are free to explore.  There is so much undeveloped territory that so many people value highly because of the history of American land.  The American people value landscape around them, and they are landscaped by the territory around them.  It is in our history to love our land and value it as a symbol of hope and pride of ownership.