Some Thoughts On America

I have been blessed in having been born and raised in America. The opportunities and privileges available here are at best only distant dreams for many people in other parts of the world. Even with the problems and challenges facing our nation at this hour, America is still viewed as "a land flowing with milk and honey" by much of the world.

It seems to me that each generation has the responsibility of making their part of the world a better place. Our nation has had a wonderful history. In reading the history of the forefathers of our nation, it is inspiring to read of their diligent devotion to putting our nation on a proper foundation. They were willing to put their personal agendas aside, and combine their efforts for the common goal of freedom and democracy. An important characteristic of their labors was a genuine excitement. To me, it seems that this attitude continued into the twentieth century. But during the last quarter of the twentieth century this attitude began to wane. More often personalities began to overshadow the continuing goal to make America a better country. This aided in personal agendas having an easier time in gaining the spotlight. Unfortunately, these attitudes have continued, and are growing. The excitement of making America a better nation is no longer as evident.

I do not consider myself a pessimist. There are many things that are encouraging in our nation today. While some of the leaders may be self-serving, there are some great people serving our nation today. But good leaders alone are never enough. While still in the early years of the twenty-first century, it is absolutely crucial that a change of attitude sweep across America. To be sure, there will continue to be a vast difference in the political philosophies of our nation. But in our quest to make America an even better place, we need to rediscover the art of civil discourse. More often we must remember that we are "on the same side." An important key is attitude. It begins in our families. It reaches to our local communities, to our states, and hopefully to our nation. I believe that a change of attitude will help produce a much greater and stronger spirit of patriotism.