I’m about to celebrate my “Mario Lemieux” birthday (my Yinzer friends will know my age immediately), and I continue to be bullish on the American Dream. Despite our flaws as a nation, I’m still proud to be an American.
I also believe we can do even better in the next 250 years if we are willing to work through our differences with wisdom, discernment, and most importantly, dignity.
Maybe some of you think I’m just buying into the propaganda when I advocate for celebrating America 250 and that I’m just drinking the flag waving Kool Aid. Well, maybe, but my American Dream Kool Aid is sweeter than most of the America Haters’ flavor, so I got that going for me. How about those of you that still believe in the country put aside your political differences and celebrate what IS great about our nation. It’s still the country that most people want to come to because of the freedoms we enjoy (and often take for granted).
Fans coming to the U.S. for the World Cup have a whole different perspective about us from what they expected, and it turns out they love us! Articles like “World Cup Tourists Are Falling in Love With America — and Their Reactions Are Going Viral” on Yahoo Travel and “European Soccer Fans Marvel at the Splendor of America’s Suburbs” in the in the Wall Street Journal tell stories of what a pleasantly better America the fans have found than what their home countries described.
Look, I get it. We are imperfect. We have flaws. But we also have so many blessings here in America, which is highlighted by the fact that so many people are willing to risk their lives and leave behind all their possessions to come to our country. Sometimes in our pursuit of perfect we forget to recognize and enjoy the good that is all around us.
Bestselling author Brandon Keegan’s column for LinkedIn, “Five Undeniable Reasons Why America Remains the Best Country in the World to Live & Do Business,” focuses on the top five reasons why the United States is still one of the best countries in the world. Keegan states these reasons:
- Economic Opportunity That Exists Nowhere Else
- Freedom That Most of the World Can Only Dream About
- Innovation and Excellence That Defines the Future
- Resilience and Renewal That’s Built Into Our DNA
- The Simple Fact That Everyone Wants to Come Here
Political divide has existed since the very beginnings of our republic. There have been nasty political campaigns throughout our country’s history. I googled “The nastiest presidential political campaigns in U.S. history” and the list came back with 1800, 1828, 1884, 1964 and 1970. Yup, mudslinging has been around a long time.
In fact, look at this Brookings Institute article by Elaine Kamarck entitled “Has a presidential election ever been as negative as this one?” about the 2016 Trump – Clinton election. The author makes the case for the very first presidential campaign between then Secretary of State Thomas Jeffereson and sitting President John Adams as the clear winner.
The good news is that the country has almost always managed to overcome those differences, for the most part. We continue to evolve and make progress, perhaps slower than some would like, but nonetheless we have come a long way. In my 66 years, I personally haven’t seen us this divided since the days of the Vietnam War. I can’t help but think that a large part of that is due to social media, where everyone gets to be a critic without credentials, where we selectively choose only the news that fits our selfish goals and beliefs, and a “me over we” attitude prevails. If social media had existed in the 1770s, 1860s and 1940s, how different the world might be.
When I look at peaceful rallies and protests, even those I might disagree with, I’m still thankful that I live in a country that allows that freedom of expression. Try doing that in communist countries. In many of those countries you will be imprisoned, tortured or simply killed because of your political leanings, religious beliefs or gender ideology.
If you’ve read my past columns, you know that I am a “common sense republican” who believes in fiscal discipline with social responsibility. From where I sit, it appears we’re being attacked from within. When I think of what used to be considered the greatest city in the world now being slowly taken over by socialists, it scares me. It especially scares me because there are so many people who escaped communist and socialist countries to get a new start in America who know better. Why are you being silent? Make sure your cure isn’t worse than the ailment you seek to fix.
In Adam Smith Institute President Madsen Pirie’s column, “Why Socialism Doesn’t Work” the British researcher and author makes the case for why most socialist countries fail. He believes that it is primarily due to government control over the economy, which leads to inefficiency, lack of innovation and economic stagnation. Additionally, he says that socialism often results in political repression and the concentration of power, which can lead to tyranny and corruption.
With New York’s already high cost of living and tax burden, people across the political spectrum have moved out of the city in droves in recent years, and given that South Carolina is one of the top three states gaining in population, many are ending up as my neighbors. There are signs around the Lowcountry that say, “Don’t NY our SC!”
I’m not going to let the “Negative Neds” and the “Debbie Downers” rain on our country’s 250th parade. Just for a day, put on your good attitude face and just be thankful you live in a country like no other in history. I’m proud to live in a country where its people give more and do more for others than any other country in the world. By far. Here is a link to the list of countries by charitable donations.
My wife and I kicked off our celebration early by going on the America 250 Hilton Head History Cruise being offered by Vagabond tours out of Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island. It highlighted the American Revolution, coastal defenses, local settlements and Hilton Head’s role in the fight for independence. As a long-time history buff, it didn’t take much to convince me to sign up. The cruise featured presentations and stories from costumed lecturers who guided participants through significant historical topics.
We experienced a beautiful day that was part boat ride, part dolphin sightseeing excursion and part history lesson. Our tour guide was a super young man named Jack Gatlin, a College of Charleston sophomore history and archaeology major. He has been giving lectures on the American Revolutionary War since he was 9 years old. He was full of energy and enthusiasm for history and spoke almost non-stop for over an hour with details of the role of the Lowcountry and the state of South Carolina in our victory for independence from the British. Dressed in colonial linen clothes of the period, Jack’s storytelling made history come to life.
Context matters. When most Americans think of South Carolina, they remember it as the first state to secede from the Union at the start of the Civil War. What most don’t know is that South Carolina played a huge role in our Continental Army’s victory over the British.
Jack Gatlin informed us that it wasn’t a war of nation against nation, it was literally neighbor against neighbor. The battles here were personal. Jack talked about an event that took place on Daufuskie Island. A British officer was ordered to burn down the house of what turned out to be his sister-in-law’s home. The officer said he was ordered to burn the house but no mention of what to do with its contents. So, he had his unit assist in helping her to empty the furnishings of the home by storing it all under a large oak tree before burning down the home. When I got home, I immediately researched it and found an article by Li Khan called “A tale of two islands: Hilton Head’s forgotten clashes with Daufuskie during Rev. War.”
I remember celebrating the Bicentennial in 1976, going to downtown Pittsburgh to watch parades and celebrations. That was during another time of great civil unrest with the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal and an energy crisis still hanging like a dark cloud over the country.
Look at how far we have come. Yes, work still needs to be done. We can all be a part of the solution if we try. God has already blessed America and if we can pull ourselves away from those who try to negatively influence our views, we can continue to achieve amazing things for generations to come.
So, at least for this upcoming July 4th weekend, can we put aside the differences and enjoy the upcoming celebration of America 250? As we celebrate America 250 let’s thank God for all the good that has come from this great experiment in democracy and be proud to be an American.
