It's the Fourth of July!
Or, if you're nerdy like I am, then it's Independence Day.
Yes, 240 years ago our Founding Fathers did the saltiest thing ever and drafted a breakup letter to the English monarchs declaring our independence from Great Britain. In the last section of the Declaration, they even listed all the reasons why King George III was a terrible guy. Sounds like a Taylor Swift song.
Needless to say, it was a pretty gutsy move. Nowadays, something like that would be on the top of your News Feed and on everyone's Snapchat story.
But are we really celebrating that on Monday? Are we actually going to think about what it means to be free and equal while we're chewing on watermelon and sipping sweet tea?
Unfortunately, we probably won't talk about those ideals that make us a great nation. If there is anything we will talk about, then it probably will be the upcoming election and the divisiveness that has augmented between parties and ideologies alike and different. Our discussion will end, and we'll head off to the fireworks displays ready to turn on Fox or CNN the next day and do it all over again.
How about we do something different? How about we reflect and celebrate what it is that makes us an outstanding place to call home? How about we put aside the negativity for one day and revel in our American exceptionalism? Yes, contrary to some belief, this is an exceptional nation.
During the 20th century, America was the most powerful nation on the face of the earth. We built skyscrapers, bridges and rockets. We landed on Normandy, Guadalcanal and, ultimately, the Moon. We defeated the face of evil and spread our democratic wings across the globe, in a vast attempt of philanthropy. Our culture, ideas and capital were dispersed internationally to meet our destiny, one of exceptionalism and pure might. We as a country remained dedicated to the proposition that America was the greatest nation the world had ever seen.
It is up to us to realize that, preserve that and live that for generations to come.
Though in a larger sense, we cannot forget, we cannot ignore and we cannot evade these issues which divide us. Our fathers, grandfathers and kinfolk alike made America great. They made us exceptional. It is not only our duty to preserve what they have created, but also our duty to further improve the nation which we will inhabit for decades to come -- to ultimately make our children's lives better than our own. Perhaps this nation, under God, shall have a revival of prosperity, one which shall secure that our republic -- of the people, by the people, for the people -- shall once again be a shining city on a hill.
