Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Everyone knows where they live in America, right?  We each have addresses, phone numbers, and better ways to find each other than hound dogs tracking a scent.  Pings, dings, and drones can locate us in a briar patch; even our watches can call for help.  Yes, sir, it is hard to get lost here, but can our nation disappear?

Our political division has not just affected but decimated this great land.  I thought after September 11, 2001, nothing could stop our resolve to maintain our freedom and unity.  I don’t think there was a house without an American flag flying proudly.

After COVID-19 took the lives of over one million Americans, I anticipated that our compassion and appreciation for life would increase.  We witnessed nearly every nation suffer, children become orphans, and tears shed over countless graves.  Yet, we still seem unable to heal.  Our tendency to blame others reached a new level and continues to persist today.

I thought January 6 and all that followed would be the final act of our scorn and division.  However, in many ways, it was just a dagger inserted deep into the wounded spirit of our land. 

As July 4 approaches each year, I typically write an uplifting column about our great nation.  It still is a fantastic country, but are its citizens forgetting where they live?  Are we lost in the briar patch of political discord and partisan rhetoric?  It’s time to remember that we are all Americans, and our unity is our strength.

Long ago, seventy men from thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia to draft a constitution for their new nation.  These individuals came to America from various countries in search of hope, freedom, and opportunity, united by a common dream.

Their ages ranged from 26 to 81, and each man brought his own opinions and ideas to the table.  They worked together, argued, and likely threw a few ink wells during heated discussions.  However, in the end, they compromised and reached an agreement, recognizing that the welfare of America was more important than their personal disputes and differing views.

The first sentence of our Constitution begins with the words: “We the People of the United States…”

Every citizen in every state is expected to contribute to forming a more perfect union that establishes freedom, justice, and equality for everyone. 

In Minnesota, political divisions resulted in the tragic deaths of a mother, father, and their beloved dog.  Others were severely injured because America’s importance was overshadowed by an individual’s philosophy.  Today, the bleeding from the dagger left in American civility and respect for life is oozing to the surface.

Anger and political unrest, often amplified by traditional and social media, undermine the appreciation for the freedom countless men and women have fought for from the 1700s to today.  Shameful discrimination, rampant misinformation, and judgmental attitudes continue to foster a climate of fear in this country, as if a silent war is ongoing among us.

I would prefer the thrown inkwells over the hateful and disrespectful language that comes from some of our so-called leaders.  Their words undermine the essence of free speech.  When expressing ourselves freely leads to hate spilling into our communities, it costs our entire country dearly.

We are the people of America.  We should not be characterized solely as Republicans or Democrats.  We must return to being American citizens—proud, resilient, and God-fearing individuals who love this nation.  We are not defined by those who lead us but by our actions.  We can either help our nation bridge the divisions among us or fall into the chasm created.

We can use our fearlessness to stop spreading political, partisan, and highly inflammatory rhetoric and actions.  Don’t spread nasty emails, degrading remarks, or hate-filled opinions.  Instead, let’s engage in respectful dialogue, listen to different perspectives, and seek common ground.

Many of our nation’s founders were concerned about establishing a two-party system in America.  They feared that hyper-partisanship, disunity, and the suppression of minority viewpoints would lead to the loss of hope and independence for all.  Have their worries become a reality?

So, who are we loyal to?  Do we celebrate July 4 as a united nation or continue to demean those who don’t belong to our corner of thinking?

Building this nation required the efforts of people from every corner.  Each individual labored and fought to protect the land we now call home.  They entrusted us with a shared responsibility not to divide it based on differing opinions about what is best for America but to collaborate and improve it together.

Those gathered in Philadelphia believed that future generations would be forever grateful for the fight they endured and the care they provided to ensure we would always be “We, the people… united.”

Are we?