Being American involves looking at our history, culture
By: Kevin Joseph – Senior, Entrepreneurship
“There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence and energy of her citizens cannot cure.” – President Dwight D. Eisenhower
When I think of the history of America, it is not glory, greatness nor prestige that comes to mind, but rather it is sacrifice, expense and debate that I see. I see a room of 56 delegates signing our Declaration of Independence. I see 56 men frightened, nervous and afraid.
Many times we are too proud to realize that although the benefits of freedom are magnificent, the choice of freedom was not. Fifty-six men were staring execution dead in the eye, through a proclamation from King George III, and chose freedom.
These men required themselves to study battle, law and government so one day their children could study mathematics, literature and religion.
Today, many Americans believe that accommodation is what unites us. They argue that it is racist to require immigrants to learn English, that it is wrong for God to be present in our daily lives and that what you earn belongs to someone else.
They believe it is our duty to change who we are, in order to accommodate those who are not familiar with our way of life.
People do not come from all over the world to speak a foreign language in our lands, they don’t come to abolish our religion and they don’t come to redistribute our wealth. People come to America to be American.
They come to learn our language, share in our freedoms and bask in the successes of our innovations.
America is exceptional. This is a fact, don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
The day immigrants stop coming is the day our purpose is lost. The day our citizens deny themselves their American heritage is the day we become like everyone else. One of my favorite sayings is: “They laugh at us because we are different, we laugh at them because they are all the same.”
America is different. Every hardship that the people of this great country endure is a result of our willingness to change who we are. When the going gets tough, change is not the answer, but rather a renaissance of the values, ideals and morals that are America, are the only things that can restore the strength and unity we once all shared.
I sit here today presenting this article to the young, old and unborn. I write to inform and I hope to inspire a call to action.
The citizens that are the people of the United States are too great to sell themselves short of their full potential.
It is time we revisit and not forget what makes us exceptional. To preserve freedom, the passion for unity and liberty must be the highest aspiration of the American people. One cannot forge a bond by fundamentally changing who we are.
Change does not unite us, America does.