This Is America! Act Like It

THIS IS AMERICA! This was the mantra of generations after the establishment of the United States of America. Our history shows that this nation was built with grit, toughness, a do it yourself and a get it done attitude. Sure, like any other great or not so great society in history, our nation made mistakes. We were not and are not perfect.

However, there is no argument that this nation, the one that history will forever remember, was made great simply because people were proud to be human. Proud to be children of God. Proud to be Americans.

When the nation was threatened, the people rose up to the challenge and shouted, This Is America! And they would not give up or give in to anything but complete and total victory.

This attitude was instilled in their children. The children instilled this attitude within their children. Those whom we called legal immigrants instilled this attitude into their children and indeed they often admonished their children for not acting, being more American.

They were proud and grateful to the new country they now called home. They, too, stood up and shouted, This Is America when they were challenged by outside threat. They, too, picked up arms and joined the army and navy and fought along with natural born citizens. They fought to insure their posterity had a better life, more opportunity than they did. They did not give up nor did they give in.

It was an attitude that spurred fear into our enemies and emboldened all those who wished to live as Americans lived. America inspired others to rise up against tyranny within their own nations. When they could not fight, America gave them grit and purpose to make the often dangerous and deadly journey to this land of freedom and opportunity.

People of far off lands created and shared legends about America. “In America, the streets are paved with gold.” Although our streets were not literally paved in gold, they were not wrong in stating such. Indeed, our streets were paved with the gold that is opportunity and freedom. It is a priceless treasure.

I long to hear the shouts and cries in the streets, This Is America. I fight and work tirelessly to get a chorus of voices shouting, This Is America. I impatiently wait for the flag of our nation to be flown high and proud on every home, every business. To be worn with pride on every shirt. No apologies. No wimpery. No weakness. No retreat.

This Is America! And Americans need to be reminded to act like it.