State of Affairs

The United States of America is an empire built to withstand the test of time. With a promise to uphold the righteous, God-given rights of Freedom and Liberty, this nation fulfilled its conquest of Manifest Destiny and faced a great reckoning with the driving force behind its economy: Slavery. Coming out of the American Civil War stronger and closer to its promise of A More Perfect Union, the United States uplifted the rights of women, African Americans, and other minorities.

The Union would enter The Great War and win necessary victories in defense of Freedom and Liberty, after returning home victorious, American soldiers were greeted with the prohibition of booze and a booming economy, and the Flu of 1919. The US would be hit by The Great Depression and Dust Bowl, but the Union persevered. Then, World War II presented the world with horrors unknown, and the US was able to commit its promise of Freedom, Liberty, and Justice across the world.

US victories over the United Socialist Soviet Republic led to the collapse of Communism across western Europe and the growth of new Democratic governments controlled by the people. In 2001, twenty-years ago this month, the US suffered a devastating blow – The attacks of September 11, 2001, will forever be burned into the psyche of every American. Despite this attack the nation persisted, eliminated the threat to its Freedom and, after overstaying its welcome, has finally returned home after successfully completing its mission in Afghanistan.

As American troops return to the United States, they’re not greeted by illegal alcohol or a booming economy, this time they’re met with legalized marijuana (in most states) and an economy so ballooned by efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic that the debt growth will likely never be repaid. Our troops return to what feels like an America divided, and while it feels like our divisions are slowing healing, we still have many issues.

I hear such negative comments about things that all Americans should celebrate.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song better known as “The Black National Anthem” is an empowering song that celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation, an order which freed all blackskinned people in America from the chains of slavery. This song is a celebration of the American Patriotism which led to the end of slavery as a practice in the United States, this song allows us to honor those who lost their lives in pursuit of making this A More Perfect Union. I understand the hesitation behind embracing this, as the US already has “The Star Spangled Banner,” but why throw away a perfect opportunity to celebrate the sacrifices and accomplishments of this beautiful nation we enjoy? I suggest viewing Symonne Sparks and Preston Fulton, who performed the song for America’s National Churchill Museum on YouTube.

Slavery is only one of the challenges this Union has overcome, and actively our nation is struggling through a new period of reckoning, a reckoning of social justice, racial equality, and financial equity. It won’t be easy to come through this reckoning, but when we do, our nation will be better for it.

For now, lets stop looking for divisions and see the beauty of this nation that unites all of us in the common pursuit of justice. Democracy is not inevitable, and order it to secure it, the whole people must be involved in the betterment of their country and society. Democracy is dangerously fragile, the US flirted deadly close with authoritarian rule earlier this year when the US Capitol building was besieged by angry Trump supporters who threatened to kill Vice President Michael Pence and constructed gallows outside the Capitol in an attempt to stop American Democracy from being completed, as is Constitutionally mandated. This was a domestic threat the US managed to put down, and now the US faces a great contest with the Chinese Communist Party that has resulted in changed military alliances across the Indo-Pacific to counter China. Communist elections are never fair or free and deny all the people their right to representation. US elections, while imperfect, are the closest thing that exist to perfect elections, to preserve our freedoms, we must come together in the face of the Chinese threat, likely the most dangerous threat to the security of the world and its economy since World War II.

We all want our nation to be better and stronger as we fulfill The Founding Father’s promise of A More Perfect Union. In patriotism, let us celebrate our difficult history and remember the lives of everyone lost in the growth of this great nation, as no life was lost in vain.