I wondered what I would write about this year when it came to America’s birthday. There is always so much I could say about the land I love. On this Independence Day, I thought I’d share how my adoration for my country has grown and developed over the years. tl;dr AMERICA U DA BEST IN DA WEST & I LOVE U ENDLESSLY U BEACON OF FREEDOM
I guess you could say that my patriotism has been evident since I was a wee little girl. Believe it or not, I learned how to walk on Election Night 2000! I was about to turn one, and as the poll results were leading up to that controversial tie, in our little living room from our first house, I took my first steps! How cool is that :’)
My Patriotic Backround
Throughout the course of my childhood, I was raised to trust in America’s values and foundations—and rightly so, I believe. My parents taught me that I was so incredibly blessed to be living in the USA, especially as a Christian. Christians are the most persecuted religious group worldwide, and I am so fortunate to live in the only country in the world that has explicitly granted protection to the most sacred freedom: the liberty to practice one’s religion as one pleases.
I was homeschooled (another blessing), and I learned all about George Washington, our other founding fathers, the path to America’s independence, and so much more. I was taught to have great respect and gratitude for all who have fought for my freedom, especially for those who have died for it. My grandfather served in the Korean War; my uncle served after leaving high school, and my church has seen many veterans. It breaks my heart to think that there and men and women who lay down their lives for the cause of freedom; they sacrifice themselves—by losing their lives, limbs, or their mental wellness—for me, someone they most likely never meet or know.
Falling in love with my country… in the right way
I have to admit, at one point I became disenchanted with America. Though I still knew my country was the best, I was saddened by the direction it was taking, and I lost just about all my patriotic spirit. I look back at that short period of my life with embarrassment :’) I fell into the same trap that unfortunately plagues quite a lot of Americans do when they don’t like who’s in office. My patriotism shouldn’t be measured by who’s running the country! America’s foundation is still the same! I will be proud of this land until the day it radically shifts from what makes it so great—absolute freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the press, freedom of thought, Judeo-Christian/Western values, and all the rest.
I now view my country as I believe it should be viewed by every American—it is the greatest country in the world. This is not a nationalistic sentiment (this is not to say that all nationalism is bad); rather, it is the unique freedom and opportunity that the United States offers that makes it so wonderful.
It is still far from perfect; it has been and still is flawed. (For example, I think the founding fathers, especially those who wrote The Federalist Papers, would be appalled to see how the separation of powers/checks & balances are being ignored—our legislative branch has ceded much of its power to the executive branch, and our judicial branch has too much power. For another, our political parties can no longer disagree on policies and at the same time, respect the basic humanity of their opponents—that’s too hard, apparently.) But no other nation in the world has consistently moved towards freedom quicker than the USA.
Why is America worth admiration?
Our founding documents and those who wrote them left room for the total expansion of liberty, so that true, unadulterated freedom could be realized for all men. One has only to read the words and look at the actions of the likes of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and the others to see that although they couldn’t do away with the evils of slavery at that time, they specifically made it clear that America would abolish that evil one day because they understood the inconsistency slavery presented under the principles of freedom that they were so careful to delineate.
Thomas Jefferson proposed legislation to emancipate slaves, and he wrote these wise words:
Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that His justice cannot sleep for ever… I think a change already perceptible… The spirit of the master is abating, that of the slave rising from the dust, his condition mollifying, the way I hope preparing, under the auspices of heaven, for a total emancipation…
TJ
It might have taken us a while to get there, but once we did, we moved at a pace like no other nation. We started the movement in 1778, when Thomas Jefferson abolished slave importation in Virginia, and by our bloody Civil War, doing away with evil Jim Crow, and bettering the Constitution with amendments that provide equal protections and rights to all, under the law, we have made more progress than most Western/modern countries.
America is the great melting pot. She opens her arms to all people, offering them a chance at the American Dream. My grandparents came here from Mexico. They worked hard to create a life for themselves and their children, and they succeeded. My aunt, her siblings, and her parents fled to the USA from communist Laos so that they could be free. My family bears witness to what America can offer to the poorest of her people. Economic opportunity is greater in no other country.
I love you, America
These are just some of the reasons as to why the United States is the beacon of light to the world. The Pilgrims came here to make it just that, and it has done so beyond their wildest imaginations. I leave you with a few lyrics from one of my most favourite patriotic songs, America (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee):
My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills,
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above
—
Our Father’s God to Thee,
Author of Liberty,
To Thee we sing,
Long may our land be bright
With Freedom’s holy light,
Protect us by Thy might
Great God, our King