God Bless This Mess

Thoughts on Independence Day, Patriotism, and a New Nation

A few days ago, I walked from the National Gallery to the Washington Monument along the National Mall. It was a beautiful day—bright sun, warm, and filled with people, children running along the grass, taking in the sights, and waving American flags—as one would expect in early July in DC.

With the Capitol building behind me, I was overcome with an anger that grew with every step. That morning, the Supreme Court handed down a frightening and horrendous decision that would only serve to further divide our country. More rights are threatened, and a fall into authoritarianism, extreme nationalism, and radical ideology threatens to sever our union. Upon reflection, I realized my anger stemmed from a broken heart—a profound love for this country.

The highest form of patriotism is not to support and love your country blindly or to ignore its shortcomings and abuses but to hold it to impossible standards. It is to embrace its history and use that pain to build a better future. This is the very foundation upon which this country was built.

To understand what your country can be, what it should be, and to know that it can and must improve is to truly love it. I am critical of my country because I deeply believe in it. I am not blindly proud to be American because I know what we are capable of, and I know that we are far off the mark of what could, and should, make this country just as much yours as it is mine.

It is easy to say, "If you hate this country, then leave."  Believe me, I have thought about it. Yet, it is far more difficult to recognize that wanting this nation to fulfill its promises is not synonymous with hating it. On the contrary, it signifies a commitment to meeting pride with skepticism, a deep acknowledgment of history, and the critical understanding that no nation deserves the blind and arrogant pride of its people. We can indeed feel immense gratitude for those who have sacrificed their lives for our ideals while also acknowledging that some in power are actively reducing these brave sacrifices to mere campaign slogans intended to further their own interests.

These leaders, driven by self-interest, are willing to spill the blood of innocents for hollow promises and empty ideals of what it means to be an American. This moment calls us to rise above complacency, to demand that our nation lives up to its highest ideals, and to hold our leaders accountable. Let us honor the sacrifices of our heroes not through blind allegiance, but through a relentless pursuit of a just and equitable society.

True patriotism is not found in the unquestioning acceptance of the status quo but in the unwavering commitment to building a better future for all. As we reflect on our nation's journey, let us remember that true patriotism is rooted in a profound love for our country—one that demands justice, equality, and integrity. It is this love that drives us to challenge our nation to be better, to strive for the ideals that define us, and to ensure that the sacrifices of those who came before us were not in vain.

As Lincoln said at Gettysburg in 1863, we must usher in the birth of a new nation. One that lives up to the ideals set forth in our founding documents, a nation that strives for equality, justice, and unity. It is our duty to ensure that the promise of America is fulfilled for every citizen, regardless of race, creed, identity, gender, or background.

We must stand together, not as divided factions, but as a united people, committed to the principles of democracy and liberty. Our strength lies in our diversity, and our progress depends on our ability to work together toward a common goal. We are seeing that democracy, our union, is increasingly becoming frayed. It is increasingly demonstrating its fragile nature.

Let us take this moment of division and transform it into an opportunity for growth and reconciliation. Let us build a future where every American can feel proud of their country, and where the American dream is within reach for all.

In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Let us be the force that bends that arc more swiftly, guiding our nation towards the brighter future that we know is possible. Let us stand up, speak out, and demand the change that we so desperately need. For this is our country, our future, and our legacy.