Aren’t we focusing on the wrong thing? How is dividing America into factions and groups making us a better nation? Are we not straying farther and farther away from our national motto, “Out of Many, One”? Everywhere I turn, I hear more and more stories of how we seek to honor our differences, not unite on what we have in common.
What DO we have in common? Our founding documents, the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. These documents, when studied reveal the human tendency to separate into divisions. They also show the progress made to overcome these divisions, such as giving all law-abiding citizens of age the right to vote. Note the Fifteenth, Nineteenth, Twenty-Fourth, and Twenty-Sixth amendments to the Constitution. These amendments to the Supreme Law of the Land gave the right to vote to former slaves, women, those 18 years of age and older and removed the poll tax as a hindrance to voting for those who couldn’t afford it.
Our founding documents remind us that we are created equal (with equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed), that We the People run the government (not some groups of people), and that no one is above the law.
Divisions never were the goal in this country. The following words point to the goals of our forefathers:
“Out of Many, One”
“Liberty and Justice for All”
“A Constitutional Republic”
“Government of the People, by the People, and for the People”
“Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave”
“One Nation Under God”
“In God We Trust”
“We, the People”
Divisions within our country give our enemies an open door to exploit us. It’s an age-old truism that “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” If your mother and father are busy arguing, doesn’t that leave an opening to “do something just this once” that they won’t notice you doing? When an organization suffers division within, doesn’t that have a rippling effect? If a country is busy tearing itself apart, doesn’t that give the enemy an open door to take advantage of its citizens??
The challenge we have is to practice traditional Americanism in a way that acknowledges our country’s shortcomings and failures without tearing to shreds the fabric of our nation.
Challenge accepted.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship.🇺🇸
