Chasing Ideals · 5:09pm Jul 4th, 2019
No country is without flaw. Countries, after all, are made of people, and there is not one of us walking the earth today who is perfect. No matter how well-crafted the government, how strong the moral underpinnings of the nation, how noble the intentions of the people, the country will be flawed. To change a country for the better is a slow and painful process, one often taking centuries of reform and healing, and in the time it takes to undo an evil a great many injustices will be committed. This is a universal constant.
This is not to say, however, that we should not strive for perfection. After all, to paraphrase Vince Lombardi, in the pursuit of perfection, we may catch excellence. A country cannot be made flawless, but it can be made heroic by the virtue of its people and the quality of its institutions.
My country is not perfect. I know this. I’ve seen too much of its dark underbelly to think otherwise. But that does not mean that my country is not a great nation. In a flawed and broken world, the United States has, from its very inception, sought to promote true human freedom and to enshrine its protection in law. Our dedication to the defense of freedom is built upon an ethical code which, for centuries before our founding, has advanced the cause of human rights the world over. The belief that all humans are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, is not merely a platitude expressed by theoretical philosophers; it is a fundamental truth of life, and the very cornerstone of our nation.
All too often has the United States fallen short of this ideal, and we will doubtless continue to fail in the future. But, for all our failures, we have never abandoned our pursuit of this ideal, and I believe that, so long as men and women of goodwill continue in its pursuit, this nation will never fail to be among the greatest the world has ever produced. This ideal is our heritage and our legacy, one worth dying to defend.
I love my country, flaws and all, because it is my home. I love my country, flaws and all, because it is humble enough to confront its mistakes. I love my country, flaws and all, because it chases perfection with a dogged determination that has pushed us to improve at historically absurd speeds. I love my country, flaws and all, because generations of courageous men and women have fought and died, on and off the battlefield, to make her beautiful.
I am a proud son of America, and I pledge to dedicate my life to ensuring, as I am able, that future generations will have the privilege of honestly saying the same.
God bless you all, and God bless America.
But in all seriousness, I do enjoy living here despite the flaws. And as long as we keep pursuing the ideals we cherish, we'll keep moving forward and making ourselves better.
Well said.
A nation is very much like a person, not perfect and must mature, learn, and grow. The United States was founded on the greatest of ideals of freedom and individual liberty; the value of the human person. It took us some trial, error, and blood to fully learn and apply these ideals. But that's also what is so great about her, she learns from her mistakes, and strives to do better. Happy 4th of July!
May the Lord bless the United States of America!
It could be argued — very effectively — that ever truly living up to those ideals is an impossible task; that the bindings of reality will always cause us to fall short.
Landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth was also an impossible task.
Happy Explosion Day!
Truly, this is an important reminder.
God bless America, and may He mend her every flaw.
Well said.
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