The Fourth of July was magical when I was a kid. Those memories, hazy with time and firework smoke, taste of sticky vanilla ice cream, neighborhood barbecues and pride for my country. I loved the parades and potlucks, but most of all I loved the community. I loved climbing in the trees with the neighborhood kids and watching all the adults bask in the summer air. But the sweet taste of patriotism has soured on my tongue.
I now have mixed feelings about the nationalistic celebration. The fireworks don’t spark the same joy when I know of all the suffering caused by my country, and I can’t seem to rouse the same national pride in my heart.
It’s easy to take these feelings and write off your lost love for America, replacing it with contempt for the administration governing our country. But I implore you to create room for both. The America you know today is the product of centuries of innovation and culture, not just the freezeframe of what you see in the news. Having pride in your country doesn’t mean supporting it blindly, but learning and carrying its history in your heart. America was already great, but that’s because of the generations that have worked to make it so, not because of a red-capped cult.
This country has been built on the backs of immigrants and their families. A relatively new nation, America has been a melting pot of cultures since its inauguration.
“[America is] built on diversity,” said Summit junior Luke Shirtcliff. “It’s built on one’s intrinsic ability to explore and create.”
Today’s America is composed of immigrants and their children and grandchildren. I can trace my family tree back to a few brave souls, crossing the Atlantic from Norway with the hope of settling in America. These are the stories told over dinner with my grandparents as they serve the dishes that their grandparents taught them.
Americans hold on to their history. We keep the stories and recipes of our predecessors close to our hearts, even as we partake in the culture of our country. America is a collection of everyone who does, or ever has, lived here. We are a country made up of people from around the globe, each bringing their own culture and building ours. It is this synthesis that makes up our more perfect union.
This constant change and recombination lends itself to evolution and growth. With how diverse our culture is, it is inevitable that new features will develop. America is a place where boundaries can be pushed and tradition challenged. Young women are no longer pressured to get married and have kids young, but are becoming doctors and scientists. People don’t have to follow in the footsteps of their parents and take over the family business, but can pursue their passion of becoming an artist or author.
America is a place with opportunity to explore. Our country is home to soaring mountains, lush rainforests, arid deserts, gorgeous beaches and much more; the U.S. is the only country to include all five major climate zones, and the possibilities of adventure are boundless. Not only do we host a huge variety of land to explore, we have always prioritized making that land accessible and protected.
“Whether it’s hiking a mountain or camping in the wilderness… [we can easily] be in nature,” said Summit junior Linna Bickel.
Not only did the U.S. create the world’s first national park, but we also have some of the most national parks in the world. How incredible is it that we have so many natural wonders available to us to explore, and how miraculous is it that they have been dedicated to be preserved so our grandchildren can experience the same wonder?
In addition to its cultural diversity and awe-inspiring natural wonders, this country offers innumerable virtues, such as a fierce independence and a drive to do the right thing. This country could never have these pillars of strength if it wasn’t for the citizens who labored to build them. The most significant figures in our history aren’t linked together by a crown or line of rule, but by their hope that they could make this country a better place, and the blood, sweat and tears they poured into making this happen.
“America is more than just its government, it’s politics,” said Shirtcliff. “It’s the people as well.”
These people are scientists and artists and world changers. They are the people who stand up for what they believe in, and when they see something wrong in the world, they set out to change it.
The citizens who have led protests and fought for change didn’t hate their country, but loved it. Having pride in your country doesn’t mean blind, resigned support for the decisions made by those in charge, but using your voice to fight for what you believe in.
Even when I feel exhausted just thinking about the current government, I know that I belong to a country that has so much to fight for. America has incredible diversity of global cultures and allows for the freedom of choice and lifestyle. It has expansive and varied national parks and public land. It has been built on the backs of people fighting to make it a better place.
I love you, America, and so I will fight for you.
