After coming through the unofficial “Pride Month,” it would not be a bad idea to follow up with a Pride in America Month during July. After all, the Fourth of July Independence Day celebration is just days away, and Team USA will be in Paris July 26 to go for the gold in the Olympic Summer Games.
Things may not be as rosy in the United States of America as some of us may remember but this is still considered the land of the free. In what other country was Pride Month celebrated? In America, you pretty much have the liberty to celebrate whatever it is that lights your fire of patriotism – even Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick’s Day, and Halloween.
Historians of various degrees have predicted that this great experiment we call America has just about run its course, either through a welfare system run amuck or the arrogance of a nation considering itself too wealthy to fail – or both. Whether or not those dire predictions will come to pass remains to be seen.
For approximately 250 years we have basked in the idea that “all men are created equal with certain unalienable rights.” That, to a certain extent, has been mollified to include “all women,” all children, all chickens, and presumably, the “plus” in LGBTQ+.
America has come a long way and we, as Americans, should spend a little time looking back on what we have enjoyed for so long, even if looking forward isn’t as promising as it used to be. But we don’t know what lay ahead, perhaps something even better? Let’s not dwell on that in July, let’s enjoy what we’ve had and what, for the most part, what we still have.
Think of our successes, like the War for Independence. With just 13 colonies, this rag-tag foundling searching for freedom to worship defeated the most powerful nation on the planet. Today, that defeated country is an ally with many of the same problems we have. We can be proud of that, can’t we? I mean, we roughed them up in 1812 as well and eventually replaced them as the superpower after helping them defeat Nazi Germany.
We even gave the boot to slavery by fighting a Civil War that cost us 600,000 of some of our youngest and brightest. Of course, it took us another century to bring in Civil Rights, although racism remains the topic that refuses to die.
Two World Wars later we emerged as that superpower mentioned a few sentences back. And we did our best to spread around the globe what we had. We assumed we were the envy of the world, but there were a few who did not see us that way. Again, some of our youngest and brightest gave their all for others in foreign lands but to no avail. Today, the resentment of America’s efforts seems to be growing.
For the most part, our hearts were in the right place. We just wanted to help. We enjoyed a republic previously unprecedented. Our economy was a model for all able to spring into even greater action upon request like it did in World War II. But the patriotism that fueled us then began to fade, as conflicts in Korea and Vietnam did were not looked upon in quite the same way. In fact, resentment started to grow within our own borders.
But that’s behind us now. We can try to preserve some of the more noble ventures of our past and learn from those considered less so. Perhaps the summer days of July, when Americans enjoy the great outdoors and the beautiful landscapes of this great nation, will inspire us to even great things, or not.
Former Green Bay Packers Head Coach Vince Lombardi once told his team to seek perfection when on the field but added where perfection was not possible, excellence was. We’re not perfect, but no other country has come as close to excellence as the United States of America.
It’s time to show Pride in America again.