For the last three days I've thought long and hard about what I want to say in regards to our nation's birthday. I asked myself the question 'What is patriotism?' I'm as much of a loss now as I was then to what it truly means to me living in the US in times like these.
The
dictionary defines it as love for or devotion to one's country. I see myself as being in a relationship of sorts with my country. I do love the USA, but as with any long-term relationship, I've hated, been dismayed, not understood and questioned the things my country does.
As with anything I care about, I do what I can to help correct what I view as mistakes being made. I love my country so I not only want to protect her, but help her as well. There are times we're needed in that respect, but at times I yell at her and curse her for an act of pure stupidity.
When she hurts, I'm the shoulder she can lean on. Through good times and bad, I'm there even when I wonder why do I even bother. The US has always had issues and it's not likely to change in the forseeable future.
It's the idea I continue to hope for. Our founding fathers had some fabulous ideas for what this country should be. Even though they were slave owning land owners, they understood how important it was for the US to thrive without a king or a group of men running roughshod over the rest of the population. They looked long-term with history as a guide.
Whether a person was a Christian, Muslim, Jewish or Deist (as many of the founding fathers were) they had the right to worship as they saw fit without the government telling them how to do it. They knew how oppressive a government could be with a sponsered religion. Even not having any religious belief is protected under the constitution.
Even using the word 'creator' in the declaration of independence didn't give a nod to one religion or another. It was a generic term that most would see as it being God which would get the support of the people. Very smart, I might add.
Along with the freedom of religion, we got a free press, freedom of speech and a promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The specifics weren't there for a very good reason.
It all comes down to choice. These guys knew people in this country and those who would continue to immigrate would still hold to the roots of their culture, their ideals and their dreams. By not allowing the government to set limits on those, people living in this nation would flourish. This in itself offers so much hope for the future.
People who do hold to more conservative values have every right to pursue those ideals in whatever form they choose. Those of us who yearn for social justice, peace and acceptance for all consider those American ideals. Neither should overwhelm the other and both should have a dialogue in order that all voices are heard in this very diverse country we share.
The founding fathers made it possible for those coming from different perspectives to live together. They laid down the documents and guidelines to help us work together. They left it up to us to figure out the details without losing the ideas that created this nation.
In this age where ideological battle lines are drawn over the direction of the United States and where she should go, people are more divided than ever. They set their mind one way and refuse to compromise for fear of being weak. With the advent of the internet and larger access to media in all forms, like-minded people congregate more and more together. Their ideas are continually reinforced to such a degree that dialogue with their counterparts become almost impossible.
From there, the state of the nation suffers because it has become more important to win the debate rather than working together to make the United States better and helping her citizens.
To solve this stalemate, I have no quick solution or profound statement powerful enough to wake to the realization of how much hope this nation was founded on. I can only reflect on my own thoughts and those of others to help gain a better understanding of people with which I share this soil with.
We live in cynical times. With a never-ending war raging, high gas prices, the struggle to put food on the table, an 'if it bleed, it leads' corporate media and more, there isn't much to look forward to down the road. There are numerous reasons to leave this country behind in preference to one without many of problems we face. I can name only one reason to stay in the United States: Hope.
