On January 20th, Donald Trump, a man who is completely un-American in every way, was inaugurated President of the United States. At a time like this it is easy to begin normalizing his nationalistic view of our country. It is easy to see his views of immigrants, people of color, and women as just another facet of American culture. Yet we must not begin to think that way. America is the land of the free and must remain that way, particularly in the face of what has the makings of an authoritarian regime. During the next four years, we must remember who we are - a people who cannot and will not simply bow to oppression. Here are some quotes from several great Americans to help remind us who we are.
1. We didn't crumble after 9/11. We didn't falter after the Boston Marathon. But we're America. Americans will never, ever stand down. We endure. We overcome. We own the finish line. - Joe Biden
2. The magic of America is that we're a free and open society with a mixed population. Part of our security is our freedom. - Madeleine Albright
3. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. - John F. Kennedy
4. I saw courage both in the Vietnam War and in the struggle to stop it. I learned that patriotism includes protest, not just military service. - John F. Kerry
5. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death! - Patrick Henry
6. My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. - Barack Obama
7. I am the American Dream. I am the epitome of what the American Dream basically said. It said you could come from anywhere and be anything you want in this country. That's exactly what I've done. - Whoopi Goldberg
8. Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt
9. In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.” - Barack Obama
10. America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” - Alexis de Tocqueville
11. Anyone in any walk of life who is content with mediocrity is untrue to himself and to American tradition.” - George S. Patton Jr.
12. America is the greatest engine of innovation that has ever existed, and it can't be duplicated anytime soon, because it is the product of a multitude of factors: extreme freedom of thought, an emphasis on independent thinking, a steady immigration of new minds, a risk-taking culture with no stigma attached to trying and failing, a noncorrupt bureaucracy, and financial markets and a venture capital system that are unrivaled at taking new ideas and turning them into global products.” - Thomas L. Friedman
13. “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America. - Bill Clinton
14. What constitutes an American? Not color nor race nor religion. Not the pedigree of his family nor the place of his birth. Not the coincidence of his citizenship. Not his social status nor his bank account. Not his trade nor his profession. An American is one who loves justice and believes in the dignity of man. An American is one who will fight for his freedom and that of his neighbor. An American is one who will sacrifice property, ease and security in order that he and his children may retain the rights of free men. An American is one in whose heart is engraved the immortal second sentence of the Declaration of Independence. - Harold Ickes
15. "Give me your tired, your poor/ Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free/ The wretched refuse of your teeming shore/ Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me/ I lift my lamp beside the golden door! - Emma Lazarus, "The New Colossus."
Never forget that a nation is only as great or powerful or moral as its people are. Then next four years are going to be difficult for minorities, women, the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, and a host of others, but this is a nation that was built to protect and preserve all of our rights. As long as we remember this, we can keep our government accountable and ensure that it does its job. The United States will survive the Trump presidency; We have survived much worse. We simply need to remember who we are and what we're made of.
