123. American Ideals

            

          Americans often think in terms of ethnicity and sectarianism. Our origin story comes out of European religious persecution and individual differences emigrating to a new continent where others already lived while simultaneously enslaving peoples from Africa. Those differences and conflicts remain in various states to this day, but in truth we are very much connected because of those differences. There’s much more to that than I can possible explore in this little blurb, but I believe it needs to be carefully looked at by all Americans.

            We come from different ethnic backgrounds and at one point each of those ethnic groups came here because of some sort of persecution. Most of us still cling to those persecutions still suffering from them or feeling as if we did. I think that our belief that there should be liberty and justice for all even when there isn’t is a huge unifying force across religious and ethnic boundaries. Generally Americans of all stripes believe in those things and we typically approach them blindly seeing mainly the injustices that we have incurred. That’s a powerful force that we have not fully learned how to harness for the good of the whole simply because our focus is often too self-centered.

            I love all of the ideals of America. I love how we have striven and continue to strive to meet those ideals. I do not fully understand why we don’t always see the human situation as a shared identity, but it is our shared identity. In fact, it is that human experience that unbeknownst to ourselves connects us.

            I think this connection needs to be focused on. I think if we hold firm to our collective ideals and seek them for all people we will continue to thrive as a nation. I love that about America and the American people. The paradox about America is that our diversity unites us. Sometimes we can’t let go of the fact that our individuality is somehow more important than the ideals that unite us. That sense of individuality will always have the power to divide us, but we somehow continue to cling to those ideals that we so eloquently expressed to the British nation and the world over two hundred years ago. That’s what unites us, always has and must continue to do so. That’s one more thing, or perhaps the one single thing that I love so much about this country.