“You can go to live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany, Turkey, or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or a Japanese. But anyone from any corner of the Earth can come to live in America and become an American.” – Ronald Reagan
Happy 250th birthday, America! As we celebrate our semiquincentennial, we are reminded of who we fundamentally are as a nation – a melting pot of immigrants who come from all over the world in pursuit of a better life, bringing their cultures and ideas along with them. To the people who came before us and those who are still coming to America, there is one thing they all share: an unquenchable thirst for a better life. For 250 years, America has stood as a land of opportunities – the opportunity to have a fresh start, to live comfortably, and to live in freedom. To this day, many still come to America to have a chance to experience that freedom.
The Americans of today are part of a long and proud history of people who have fought for the cause of freedom. America was founded on the basis of democratic principles by colonists who protested taxation without representation being imposed by the British. Since then, there have always been Americans who fought for freedom, from those who fought to end slavery during the Civil War to those who fought to free the world from the tyrants whose armies marched across continents to enact world domination. In peacetime, there were those who marched on the streets to advance the cause of civil and voting rights of the marginalized. Our history is full of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things to ensure that we live up to the basic rights that the Constitution guarantees us: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Presidents from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan have often referred to America as a “shining city on a hill”, a beacon of hope, freedom, and opportunity to the entire world. That ideal, the notion of American exceptionalism, although often dismissed, is believable. After all, the United States of America started out as a ragtag collection of colonists and has become the world’s sole economic and military superpower over more than two centuries. Our culture, music, films, cuisine, sports, innovations, and values have spread all over the globe. As such, America has made its presence known in every corner of the Earth, and even on the surface of the Moon. America has also been blessed with a beautiful and diverse landscape. From the mountains of the Rockies and Appalachians to the plains of the Midwest, from the towering skyscrapers of metropolises to quiet, rural towns, from the sun-kissed coasts to rustling forests, from the hottest deserts to the coldest tundras, America is a vast, breathtaking country from sea to shining sea. It is as diverse as the people who live within it.
Yet, we must reckon with the fact that our nation is deeply divided. Political polarization has split the country in two, dividing us into so-called red states and blue states. Families, friends, and neighbors have been split by clashing ideas on what is the better approach to move our country forward. There are those in power who seek to tear our country apart, exploiting our divisions and deepening our mistrust of one another, and also those who spout patriotism and, in the same breath, assail the very values of this nation. There exists in many corners of our country cynicism and apathy about our political situation, and also those who have lost faith in the American promise. History, however, shows us that America has faced division before. The current political situation is just another challenge in the series of challenges that America has faced in its 250-year-old history, and just like other challenges, America will survive this one. No matter who people voted for or what they support, I still believe that most Americans are inherently good people who wish to live free, and that is what makes America worth fighting for.
On this 250th anniversary of our independence, we reflect on the ideals that define our country: freedom, opportunity, resilience, and diversity. I think of the millions of immigrants who have settled in America over the centuries to achieve the American Dream, with their cultures and diaspora forever woven into the American tapestry. I think of those who fought and died for our freedom on battlefields and on the streets, to ensure that America remains free and that America continues to uphold the values it was founded on. I think of the great yet flawed history of our country, which is remarkable in so many ways and exemplifies the strides of progress we have made in ensuring the American promise and improving the lives of future generations. I think of the Americans of today, who live with the freedom to live their lives the way they wish to and have achieved their dreams because America gave them a chance to try.
This semiquincentennial anniversary is not only a celebration of independence but a celebration of the past, present, and future of America. It is a celebration of our people, our multifaceted culture, and our ideals. It is a celebration of how much progress we have made towards realizing the American promise, and also a reminder of what still needs to be done to correct our shortcomings. In the face of difficulty and division, let us be bold enough to listen to each other and be brave enough to continue believing in the American experiment. Let us continue to fight for a better America – one that continues to provide freedom and opportunity for all who live in it and wish to be a part of it.
I wish everyone reading this a happy and safe 4th of July!
Emil Ordonez, a political science major at Fordham University, is the founder and editor-in-chief of Polinsights. He has been deeply passionate about politics and history since learning every U.S. President at the age of five. He was compelled to start this blog after meeting many people who were misinformed or had become apathetic about how society worked. He hopes to provide factual knowledge and insights that will encourage people, especially the young, to get more engaged in their respective communities. In his free time, he edits for Wikipedia and makes maps for elections. He aspires to work in Congress or even the White House in the future.
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