Countdown to Independence Day: #5 Be proud of being American

Over the next several days leading up to Independence Day I will be posting the 10 steps that must be taken to preserve our great nation and the principles it was established on.  Each day will cover one of the steps as they appear in my book Liberty Inherited.  It is my hope that, in some small way, I can get Americans to start thinking of what they are on the verge of throwing away.  Today's posting covers step number #5.  I recommend reading the previous posts for step #1 through 4.  Please note that any additional comments that I add to the original text will be in italics.
 

5. Be proud of being an American

At times it may feel awkward to display how proud we are to be Americans. I believe this to be for two reasons. The first is that we are often kept ignorant of the greatness of our country and its people. More often than not we are taught to be ashamed of what America has done wrong rather than celebrate what it has done right. But we need to recognize that this version of our history is incomplete at best and fraudulent at worst. I believe this is done as a step to internationalism.  Proponents of that philosophy know that they must destroy our sense of national pride before they can get us to give up our national identity. The second reason is that, for many Americans, pride is seen as a form of conceit. That would hold true for false pride but there is nothing wrong with being proud of your accomplishment or those of your country as long as that pride does not turn into arrogance. So I urge each of you to hold your head up and proudly proclaim that you are an American. America and the patriots who have sacrificed so much to make United States exceptional deserve no less.

In the book I warn against confusing arrogance with pride.  So when I encourage Americans to be proud, I am not encouraging them to disparage others from being proud of their nation.  It needs to be remembered that pride is not a competition.  Every nation and culture has something to be proud of and I love experiencing the pride that others have in their own nation and the achievements of that nation.  (For example, today is Canada Day and I am thrilled seeing our northern neighbors waving the Maple Leaf. The same goes for the Queen's Jubilee in the UK.  It was very heart-warming watching Britons showing of the Union Jack)  It is when we start trying to compete on whose pride is more justified that our pride turns to arrogance.  (Real pride never need justification.  It always speaks for itself). People rightly deserve to be proud of who they are and we as Americans need to accept that right for ourselves and respect it for others.  

Countdown to Independence Day: #3 English must be the official language of the USA

Over the next several days leading up to Independence Day I will be posting the 10 steps that must be taken to preserve our great nation and the principles it was established on.  Each day will cover one of the steps as they appear in my book Liberty Inherited.  It is my hope that, in some small way, I can get Americans to start thinking of what they are on the verge of throwing away.  Today's posting covers step number #3.  I recommend reading the previous posts for step #1 and 2.  Please note that any additional comments that I add to the original text will be in italics.

3. English must be the language of the United States

I have always thought interesting that Winston Churchill would name one of his greatest works The History of the English-Speaking Peoples. The book could have easily been called "The History of the English Peoples" or even "The History the English Race," which would have been perfectly acceptable when it was written in the 1930s. But Churchill, who was a famed orator and had won a Nobel peace prize for literature, understood the power of words. 

I believe that he chose the term “English-speaking peoples” because he understood that principles, values, and ideas must be communicated for them to have any significance. For Churchill the English language was the media by which English principles have been spread around the world. He understood that this goes beyond skin color and bloodline and directly into the hearts and minds of the recipients. Recent history proves him to be correct as countries such as India, Singapore, and Hong Kong, all of which have retained English as their language, have prospered even though the British no longer govern them.

This does not mean that speaking another language, especially of one’s heritage, should be discouraged. On the contrary it should be encouraged but not at the expense of learning to effectively communicate in the English language. This will not only be beneficial to America but also to the individual. In regards to the Turkish population in Germany Turkish President Abdullah Gul commented, “When one doesn’t speak the language of the country in which one lives it doesn’t serve anyone, neither the person concerned, the country, nor the society.” 

This is especially true in for a country that is based on an idea. By not learning English individuals are limiting their ability to become Americans in their hearts and minds. This can lead to a crisis of identity in which the body is physically in one country while the heart and mind are in another. Interestingly, this identity crisis often afflicts the children of immigrants who have had difficulty adjusting to living in the new country.  As a result as these children grow up they become susceptible to the philosophies of radicalism or extremism. Yes, it would be difficult for some of them and a few of them will never become competent in the language. But for those who do the reward of becoming an American in body and soul will be well worth the struggle.