I could not be prouder to be an American, and there is no one I would rather have in a foxhole with me than my fellow Americans.
Democracy is not always easy. It’s not always easy to live in what is – by far – the most diverse country on the planet. It’s not always easy to navigate a place that has almost 350 million people of multiple races, ethnicities and religions. It’s not always easy to live in a place where many people have opposite political views. But yet we do it. And most of the time we do it amazingly well.
The United States of America is not some flimsy, delicate country, and Americans are far from fragile. We come from a long line of survivors who have overcome unfathomable atrocities, from the horror of slavery to brothers fighting brothers in the Civil War.
Our remarkably resilient country endured two hellish World Wars, one hot war in Asia, one Cold one in Eastern Europe and, here at home, a traumatizing terrorist attack. America survived our black citizens being terrorized by police dogs, firebombed buses and burning crosses, and the sickening murders of Kennedys and King. We fought for the right to vote for American Indians and female, black, and Asian Americans, and overcame a devastating depression, a monster financial crisis, a debilitating pandemic, and being deceived about Vietnam, Watergate, Iran-Contra, and WMDs.
We were the first to stand for the right of revolution, consent of the governed, and the principle of federalism. We are people who celebrate life, liberty and justice for all. We perfected freedom of speech and expression, freedom of the press, the right to privacy, the right to a fair trial, the right to peacefully assemble, due process, and the free exercise of religion.
We laid a telegraph cable from North America to Europe and built the Interstate Highway System, Transcontinental Railroad, Hoover Dam, Empire State Building, Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and the Erie and Panama Canals. We created public schools, mapped the human genome, stopped polio, proved interstellar space and the expansion of the universe, and discovered gravitational waves, charge conservation, electromagnetic induction, and cosmic radio waves. We pioneered heart bypass surgery, MRIs, anesthesia, treatments for HIV/AIDS and many cancers, chemotherapy, integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, operating systems, GPS, fiber optics, lasers, and nuclear power.
We invented the steamboat, cotton gin, light bulb, electric motor, telephone, refrigeration, air conditioning, the airplane, the Model T, television, typewriters, Kodiak cameras, microwaves, the dishwasher, personal computers, electric guitars, blue jeans, 3D printing, video games, smartphones, the space shuttle, email and the Internet. We were first in flight and the first to the moon.
We are the people who initiated the Lend-Lease policy – which helped defeat Germany, Japan and Italy in World War II by providing weapons, food, oil, and other supplies to the United Kingdom, China, the Soviet Union and France – and enacted the Marshall Plan, enabling Europe to rebuild after years of devastating war.
Our security and support have provided countries the opportunity to foster democratic governments and strong economies. With our support, South Korea evolved from a poor, vulnerable autocracy to a vibrant, healthy democracy – as did Japan. We were instrumental in creating landmark global organizations like NATO, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank.
We liberated concentration camps, greatly advanced human rights around the world, prevented a nuclear war, and stopped communism in its tracks. We steadfastly fought HIV/AIDS in developing countries, providing millions of people antiviral drugs and preventing hundreds of thousands of precious babies from being infected with HIV at birth.
Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), support from the American people vastly increased access to education and healthcare for millions; helped achieve significant reductions in child and maternal mortality; was instrumental in eradicating smallpox and reducing malaria deaths; helped secure democracy for vulnerable nations; and is responsible for sparking economic development in regions throughout the world. We have provided critical assistance during natural disasters, famines, and other emergencies and provided access to clean drinking water for millions of desperate people.
This is who we are, America. We are the United States of America, and we are wonderful people! But the best thing we do as Americans – even when things look messy and at times unsalvageable – is grow and get better. Okay, so maybe at times it’s more like two steps forward, one step backward, BUT WE ALWAYS GET BETTER.
Are we there yet? Of course not. But it’s not about the finish line. It’s about the rocky, sometimes chaotic journey. Regardless of who is in the Oval Office or in the seats of Congress, Americans will prevail – not because of our leaders, but despite them.
For those of you who feel like things have gone completely off the rails, I want to remind you that most Americans don’t reject reflection –we embrace it. We don’t allow momentary lapses in judgment to derail us – we gain wisdom that makes us even stronger.
Recently, I was driving the backroads of East Texas. Sometimes, you can see the glow from the moon and stars peek through the pine trees, but this night the towering trees won, successfully blocking out all light… creating a mood that demanded reflection.
Memories of a childhood lived in these woods came flooding back; the very heart of America where neighbors are family, you always get a return smile, and friends last a lifetime. I remember vividly my first day of kindergarten, when I stood in knee socks and pigtails and pledged allegiance to the flag that I already deeply believed in.
Nothing could be better than those sacred nights when my parents would come to kiss me goodnight, and we would read together, laugh together, and pray together. I was confident I could achieve all my hopes and dreams – and I could not wait to spread my wings and fly – because I knew that I lived in a place where no aspiration was too big and that the possibilities were endless.
As I grew, my belief in America grew with me. Not because we do everything right, but because I knew then – and know now – deep in my heart that we will always be ultimately led by the core values that make this country truly great.
I could not be prouder to be an American. We are optimistic not only for our own future, but also for our capacity to create a brighter tomorrow on a global scale. We are self-reliant and value our individuality but also have a strong sense of national pride and a profound allegiance to our country. We are aware of our imperfections, and have a burning desire to always be better, but remain completely faithful to the belief that the United States is the best place to be.
But the absolute greatest privilege of being an American is the freedom and power we have to continually assess our government, our leaders, and our political and moral direction. Without that privilege, America would be lost. With it, anything is possible.
Love, Emily