It wasn’t until I visited what we call the second and third world that I realized how amazing it isAmerica exists. Our country is a miracle orchestrated by a genius group of founding fathers.
As I travel in and out of corrupt social structures, America really does shine like a city on a hill to show the world a place between heaven and hell. Are we perfect? Absolutely not, and yet, it’s that spirit of a country against a country that makes us work. I disagree with Abraham Lincoln to some degree (I should confess I count him as one of ten or so heroes) in that a house divided against itself can truly stand, and does.
The genius of our system lies in checks and balances, in the brilliance of our founding fathers to realize man given too much freedom will move toward corruption. What makes America work are all the intricate systems that keep any group from gaining too much power, and so many of our current problems can be traced to one group or the proponents of one ideology working around that system to gain too much influence and power. I am neither Republican or Democrat, and I applaud when our branches are divided.
The success of our country proves the depravity of man, and how if that depravity is kept in check for the common good, the common really can do good. I’m proud of what our founding fathers have done, and what countless soldiers have given their lives to defend. And I’m grateful we celebrate our independence today and hope other countries around the world learn from us and place checks against their own power structures so their people can thrive. Happy independence day…
Great post, Don. The balance of power truly is one of the hallmarks of our government. One of our pastors mentioned FDR’s powerful prayer on D-Day at church yesterday (http://bit.ly/iejtyl). I had never heard this prayer, but it is powerful and as appropriate today as it was in 1944. Happy 4th!
I feel less free than I ever have this year, but, at the same time, I know my freedom lies in a Kingdom that isn’t here… yet.
[...] balanced post about the good things about being in America that I really like — check it out here. And while you’re blog hopping, remember the star-shaped patriotic rhubarb pecan muffins I [...]
Blog hopped over to your place and found your About page helpful. Well done.–Tom
I agree with ya man, America is definitely unique, but just thought I would note that Lincoln was quoting Jesus on that point…Matt.12:25
[...] http://donmilleris.com/2011/07/04/happy-fourth-of-july/ by Don at Donald Miller's Blog [...]
I so enjoy reading your blogs! I too love America and the risks our forefathers took; calculated in what it personally cost them, yet uncalculated in what rewards would be reaped by future generations. I have two thoughts to share. Not only did President Lincoln say that a house divided against itself cannot stand, but Jesus said it as well in Matthew 12:25. I hear where your coming from absolutely, but I don’t see party lines as a house divided against itself. We are a nation united. A country diverse within itself grows and thrives, and when united with differences present accomplishes much, but a house truly divided against itself will not and cannot stand. We are nation diverse, yet not divided.
Have a great independence day,
Lindsay
I like what Lindsay is conveying here, and Don, I assume Jesus is in your top 10 heros also
I would add that the rules of democracy keep a house from being divided (at least as much as you can keep 300million people undivided). The 2 party system actually works to divide us much less that a multi-party system.
Our nation may argue and bicker, but our systems allow us to venture forth with the same end goal (undivided) most of the time. My $.02 anyway.
Gonna have to side with Jesus/Lincoln on that one. The division/diversity has not served us well lately. America has spent itself into debt for generations to come. We are broke…in more ways than one.
I appreciated this post. Thanks!
I was just thinking about all of this. Our Forefathers totally knew what was up. History is amazing, and our country is truly unique. Growing up here, you don’t realize what you have. The simple fact that we have a peaceful transition of power every four years is incredible. Happy 4th!
At the end of the 1st of six years of calling Russia home, I touched the U. S. flag emblem on the nose of the Alaska Airlines plane that carried my family and me back to America. I learned to embrace and enjoy the Russian people and their culture, but I’ll never forget how much the Stars and Stripes meant to me that day. Appreciate the post and the reminder that America has its strengths which help to balance all of our weaknesses (that depravity, fallen nature, sin thing).–Tom
Great perspective. Freedom sure can corrupt. In the math of freedom and corruption, it seems like the complex formula of American democracy does it best with the raw material available.
About the time the momentum of corruption seems certain to break free and go crashing through civil society, the pendulum of checks and balances reverses the excess and pulls us irresistibly towards freedom and then on past it to a different competing corruption.
Thanks for that. It is true…I’m not American, but I certainly appreciate the perspective of grace. Without it, we’re all doomed….
Yup. Lincoln was quoting Matthew 12:25.
What a load of tosh! While I love Americans with their friendly ‘can do’ attitude, what the American Government does in your name is appalling. Your error, if I may say so, is to think that nation states operate in isolation – to think in terms of We good, They (the other) bad.
Rome did some horrific things to sustain and maintain its power and today, so does the USA. Do you imagine that if they had nothing but olives growing in Iraq there would be an American presence there? It’s for the oil, surely?! It’s common knowledge. Do you know that since the bombing of Baghdad commenced some 900,000 Iraqis have died from the war? Would you stand by and do nothing if the same number of Americans were killed in this manner? Do you know that in 1953 the CIA engineered a coup in Iran that overthrew the democratically elected president Mossadegh whose crime was to nationalize his nation’s oil industry in 1951. I could go on but I shall leave you to research these crimes against humanity for yourself.
Sadly, no one group or people have a monopoly on corruption. Americans are no exception. Your corruption is played out on the world stage (and I’m sure you can cite local examples too). One could argue that your corruption is played out vicariously. For example, you might abolish child labour at home but your corporations will think nothing of manufacturing where labour is cheap, labour laws are weak and where child labour is used, be it India, Malaysia or elsewhere. We all want our cheap Nikes, don’t we? All you need do is follow the money trail and you will see what I mean. Wall Street (and the other stock exchanges of this world) in its insatiable appetite for profit seeks out markets, raw materials etc and will stop at nothing to attain this. Unwittingly, you ordinary Americans prop up the most oppressive, dictatorial regimes. As soon as your ‘interests’ are threatened your military industrial machine kicks in.
Your founding fathers (and mothers) did a great job of designing your bill of rights, cannily separating state from church, its humanist principles rooted in the Enlightenment, but let’s face it – the USA was build on a stolen land and the corpses of indigenous people, a genocide that Americans appear to have airbrushed out of their memories. Today, despite this bill of rights, many millions of your citizens do not have equal rights in reality and over 40% of your population do not have access to basic health care – unconscionable in the richest nation on earth.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not here to point a finger at Americans. What I am here to do is to stop this mutual back-slapping of how great America is and to demonstrate that you too are human like the rest of us, capable of the diabolical and the sublime.
Too much to address, so much of it wrong. The indigenious people’s is the most lame. Every nation on earth was taken by force from someone else. We are and were way less oppresive than most other countries in their conquest. And even with that we try to make amends where possible. If you want to follow that reasoning, we should give all the planet back to italy since Rome ruled the known world at one time. No we are nor perfect, far from it, and we have done things to be ashamed of. That said we are still the most generous, giving people on the planet, period. We are the first to arrive at natural disasters, provide supplies to nations in need. We give even when those in need are our sworn enemies. I will put our people and form of Government up against any in the world. Sorry for the rant but you struck a nerve. If you are a US citizen, feel free to leave and live in a country of choice. If your nor, please stay home.
Where do you get YOUR numbers you’re using to support your stament that 900,000 of Iraq’s people have been killed?
Great thoughts Don. Will admit I spend half of my time frustrated that both sides of our political parties can never agree on anything. or atleast it feels that way. But I am glad that we have more then once voice speaking.
I love this country! Even though it is heading to Hell in a handbag!
[...] the little boy that he rescued from Buchenwald and turned into a prominent rabbi.” (HT: TH)Donald Miller, proud to be an American: “It wasn’t until I visited what we call the second and third world that I realized how [...]
[...] absolute power from any one person or group–you can read the blog post yourself here http://donmilleris.com/2011/07/04/happy-fourth-of-july/. I agree with Mr. Miller in that, as frustrating as it can be, it really is a beautiful thing that [...]