Things May Not Be Great, But America Is Still Great
The greatness of America is not dependent on circumstances or elections; it's about principles.
The inflation rate is at 3.3% right now, but inflation in general has gone up by 15.76%. Bad. Though the crime rate is considerably better than it was in the 90s, the full picture on crime is not very pretty. Foreign adversaries have become emboldened in recent years, as is particularly evident with Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza war perpetrated by Hamas on October 7. We are entering a historic election year where both presidential candidates are deeply unpopular. Well over 60% of the country thinks that the country is heading the wrong direction, like a big rig tumbling down the Grand Canyon after some serious off roading. Feelings are generally pessimistic. America, according to the peddling of some, is apparently a nation in decline.
But, contra the doomsayers, America is still great.
America’s greatness is not defined by who is or who will be in office. America’s greatness is not determined by inflation or crime rates. America’s greatness is made up of its principles — principles that, though they are not being applied like they should, are still alive and kicking in the hearts of millions of Americans. And what’s awesome is that, these principles are true. America is not Russia, a nation whose principles demands loyalty to the state. America is not Nazi Germany, a nation whose principles were based on racial superiority. Sure, the United States in its past had bought into too much of that bull crap, but that idea was always antithetical to America’s founding principles. And America sure isn’t Canada, a nation’s whose principles are — actually I don’t know what. They’re probably stupid anyway (no offense to the Canadians).
America is a nation that is founded on the principles that all men are created equal. And I love that this is true. All men really are created equal. America’s principles tell us that all men have the natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that these rights are gifts from God that no one may take away unless you yourself are infringing on the rights of others. This is a true principle. We really do have inalienable rights. America’s principles declare that the duty of the government, which can only rule by the consent of the governed, is to protect the rights of man. This is another true principle. The government really is of the people, for the people, and by the people. America is a nation founded on principles that are true. This is what makes America unique among nations. As President Calvin Coolidge said:
If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.
Look at what these principles have brought us. Thanks to these ideas of liberty, America is one of the most prosperous nations on earth. I can drive to grocery store and pick up what I need. If I work hard enough, I can have my own place to live in with all of the modern conveniences. I can decide whether I want to go get for dinner some Mexican food, Chinese food, or good ol’ American burgers (though we can thank the Germans for those). I can even sit down and write this subpar article and publish it for anyone to read without any governmental authority telling me that I cannot. America truly is a wonderful place!
On top of all of our awesome, true principles, God, in His providence, let us live in a nation that has some of the most beautiful places to visit in the world. We’ve got amazing beaches, great national parks, scenic mountains, clear rivers, fertile valleys, and Amish villages, and people from all over the world will take vacation time just to see these national treasures (maybe less so with the Amish villages but you get the point). The scenic beauty of the United States is just one more thing to be thankful for.
Perhaps one of the coolest things about America is that we celebrate our nation by blowing stuff up. We shoot fireworks in the air and light the slightly less exhilarating fountains and sparklers. We have cook outs and feast on barbecued hotdogs with maybe some lemonade on the side. And why shouldn’t we? America has been a place where men may live free and pursue their dreams.
This 4th of July, let us celebrate 248 years of freedom, with deep gratitude to those who died to secure our liberties and to the God Who gave our natural rights to us. Let’s stop being pessimistic, and start applying our founding principles and build a greater culture of liberty. Happy 4th of July!