By Tom Ryan, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

Last night at the Kansas City Library’s Plaza Branch, Allis and Ronald Radosh discussed their new book called “A Safe Haven: Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel”. During their talk, from the nods in the audience, it was apparent that many knew this story, probably from personal family narratives.

Homeland…the mere word conjures images for us and emotions, depending upon our own personal history, ancestry, experiences, and dreams. For many, homeland is not here and for many more, they’ve never seen that homeland. Many of us consider this our homeland, where we belong.

It’s a very tough subject to discuss, for if one holds a passport, a birth certificate, or a citizenship paper noting USA, people assume that indicates the home. It’s not as simple as that.

But this is not about loyalty…

Where is the homeland in your heart? It’s worth appreciating these ties as awkward as they seem. It makes sense to allow your ancestral feelings to thread from here to there or to multiple places. It’s a great feeling sometimes to know that tug to another place, even better to visit and remind you of its beauty.

Home may be two states east...it may not be an "international tug" in your heart...

But there’s the heartache for those here who cannot go “home” just yet. It may be dangerous in the extreme, or the going may be just not the right time for business reasons, or this may be the time to complete that degree, finish that residency, or save for that personal goal…

America is a magic land. Here we can share our love of this country while bringing homeland memories to life with our voices, our pens, our food, our music, art, dance, and language. Make a new home or save to go back home someday, or save and send money home wherever that may be.

During this book talk last night, I thought of the ideas of homeland, safe haven, and state. The story of Israel’s beginnings is so very complex. This story reminded me again that Harry Truman served so many with incredible courage and wisdom. This story reminded me that the homeland heart tug is quite a universal and personal concept.

This homeland heart tugging manifests itself too often with competing collective tugs, political crisis and armed struggles. For too many, this homeland longing is sadness, a daily worry, a constant concern for real people with names and addresses somewhere. It may sound awkward, but many Americans dream of going home someday.