Worth defending
I was proud of my son when he joined the U.S. Army.
But because his enrollment happened to be during the first presidential term of a man completely unaligned with the actual principles of the nation, I felt compelled to say this to him: “The ideals of the nation are worth defending.”
Those ideals include Liberty, Equality, Democracy, and the Rule of Law.
Which the man currently in the White House has absolutely nothing to do with.
Which means that now, more than ever, on its 250th birthday, the nation needs the support of those of us who realize that.
Do what you can. Don’t give up. There are lots of resources and actions available with a little internet searching.
And don’t despair. Celebrate. Especially today.
As the writer Aurin Squire posted earlier today on Facebook:
“Shocked at all these international World Cup fans making videos about America…and loving it. It’s not everyone, but it’s 90% raves. Ranch dressing, Buc-ee’s, Texas BBQ, and overall hospitality. Apparently, a lot of them think Americans are, on the whole, more optimistic, more friendly, more encouraging, more likely to hustle.
“There’s a saying: if you want to hate America, stay online. If you want to love America, drive across a few states. And I’ve done that a few times…
“I guess these FIFA fans are reminding me of my cross-country road trips and all my small-town excursions over the years. And making me feel proud. Yes, yes, I can go into all my issues with this country. But sometimes it’s good to acknowledge privilege and be grateful. Grateful for what the ancestors built and the threads that keep this weird, wild, enormous thing called the USA together.”
Celebrate the successes — we’ve had many. Celebrate the ideals. Celebrate the opportunity that is America — including, now, the opportunity to once again change it for the better.