America the beautiful
I was sitting quietly, sipping on some freshly-brewed coffee and mulling over random thoughts; I allowed my mind to wander until I caught myself auto-focusing on the upcoming Memorial Day, its significance to me and my fellow citizens, and this beautiful, blessed nation in which I was fortunate enough to have been born.
I hearkened back to how I was taught about the United States in school and at home. I remembered when my children were young and how I and Uncles Marty and Howard taught them and their cousins about why and how we became a nation, of the basic principles and documents upon which the country was founded, of what it took to achieve today's standard of living, of the mistakes we've made along the way, and of the individuals and events that have played major roles in shaping the country.
But then I thought about how many of these important lessons are not being taught in today's classrooms, as well as the fact that much of what is offered to children today is revised and molded to fit particular politically correct molds, whether true or not. I wonder if my son and daughters are teaching their children about America the beautiful, the bountiful, the planet's true land of opportunity. Because if they aren't learning about it in school, now more than ever is it important that they learn the truth at home. For you see, our country is really a community of communities. A sense of community and of belonging is something most of us need and want, but which I believe is missing for many of us.
The Uniqueness of America
In today's world where both parents often work, where technology allows us to communicate without leaving the house, where crime has limited our outside activities, where we travel and are a mobile society and where communities are more diverse, a sense of community is not as easy to come by as it used to be. I believe in today's disjointed, hedonistic, instant-gratification society, the stronger the families and individuals within our country, the stronger the country. Family and personal traditions are arguably more important today than ever before. But I think most of all the knowledge of and appreciation for the uniqueness of America is paramount to her ability to bestow so many blessings on the American community.
I am in awe of the Bill of Rights, that most noble of documents, those guiding principles which illuminate our Constitution and firmly entrench America's rights of the common man. No other nation on earth was ever blessed with a document that so clearly defines the limits of government and governance by the good graces of its people. I love the concepts of free speech, absolute privacy, and religious freedom, all set forth in that remarkable Constitution and embodied in our traditions. But most of all, I love the rule of law. I think about all of the less fortunate nations that I have visited in my lifetime, and all of the people who will never experience what I and my fellow citizens take for granted each and every day.
It is believed by some that the United States of America was not merely the result of brilliant planning or the work of dynamic personalities, but that God Almighty set His hand on the people and the events that gave birth to America. As to the veracity of this belief I cannot say, but I do know this:
In America, the destiny of our young is not given to them, but created by them. In other countries, your fate and your identity are handed to you; in America, you determine them for yourself. In a free society, freedom will sometimes be used badly. Freedom, by definition, includes the freedom to do good or evil, to be noble or be base. But if freedom brings out the worst in people, it also brings out the best.
Edmund Burke once said, "We should love our country not just because it is ours, but also because it is good." America is far from perfect, and there is lots of room for improvement. In spite of its flaws, however, American life and American ideals are the best that our world has to offer. Ultimately America is worthy of our love and sacrifice because, more than any other society, it makes possible a life that is good, at home and around the globe.