Reclaiming Your Patriotic Spirit
“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home.”
I am not going to lie — since 2024, I have felt very frustrated by America.
Okay, in the spirit of honesty, it probably goes back to 2020, when I was truly shocked by how Americans were handling a crisis. I recently saw a post about living through 9/11 and how the country banded together. I was in junior high, and I remember being so proud of how our country came together. Then, starting in 2016, I was shocked by the type of people my fellow Americans were electing.
So fast forward 10 years, and this is America's 250th birthday. I have spent my 20s and 30s trying to reconcile that patriotic spirit with how I actually see people behave. It is hard to rationalize. This year, I have decided that I am working to raise young men who will support women, treat people with dignity and respect, and champion access to a top-notch education for all. I want them to be proud of where they live and also understand that democracy — and the privileges they enjoy — is something every single person should experience. Other people's experiences living here are not the same as ours, and we need to understand that inequality and work to support programs and our neighbors to bring accessibility and equity into our spaces.
This year, we are doing ALL the red, white, and blue things. We are celebrating the America that I know can be a welcoming place for ALL people, leading by example and with humility, and using our privilege to lift others up while acknowledging the inequalities that exist.
