By Pat Burns, President
What happens to a country when its citizens can no longer agree on what is true?
What happens when a political disagreement turns a friend into an enemy, when a neighbor is judged by the letter next to their name on a voter registration card, and when people are taught to see one another first by race, culture, or social group instead of simply as fellow Americans?
Look around us. We are becoming divided by almost everything imaginable. And the people who should be helping bring us together, the politicians and the media, often seem to be doing the opposite.
Whatever happened to journalism? There was a time when journalism meant asking questions, investigating claims, checking facts, and giving people information so they could make up their own minds. Today, too much of what passes for news seems driven by ratings, clicks and outrage. A politician says something, a news outlet reports it, another reports on that report. Social media repeats it, adds an opinion, and spreads it thousands of times. Before you know it, a sound bite or accusation can become accepted as fact simply because everyone has heard it. And once something is repeated enough, who bothers asking whether it was ever true?
Politicians understand this perfectly. Division gets attention, fear gets votes, and outrage keeps people engaged. If Americans are busy fighting each other, they are less likely to ask those in power the questions that really matter.
We have also become increasingly focused on what separates us rather than what unites us. Race, culture, religion, political affiliation, and social groups. Government and politicians spend an enormous amount of time recognizing specific constituencies and special interests; for obvious reasons, they want the votes. Recognizing history and heritage has value, but constantly emphasizing our differences only creates another divide between us.
Shouldn’t every day be American Day?
People came to this country from every corner of the world seeking freedom, opportunity, and a better life. They brought their cultures, traditions, and beliefs with them. There is nothing wrong with being proud of where you came from, but when you choose America as your home, shouldn’t there also be something bigger that brings us together? Being American.
Maybe that is something we need to start teaching our children again. Children learn what they live. If they grow up surrounded by political hatred, constantly hearing that one group is the problem and another is the enemy, why would we expect them to grow into adults who respect one another? We should teach children that America is not perfect. No country is. But America is a remarkable experiment built on the idea that people with different beliefs, backgrounds, and opinions can live together under one flag. Teach them why they are free to disagree. Teach them to think for themselves. Teach them that having a different opinion does not make someone a bad person. And teach them to respect the country that gives them that freedom.
I remember when I was in school, the day began with the Pledge of Allegiance. There was an American flag in the classroom. Students were taught to respect it. It was an honor to be chosen to raise the flag in the morning, lower it at the end of the day, not let it touch the ground, and fold it properly, the way we had been taught. It meant something.
I believe our schools should bring that sense of pride and respect back. Every classroom should have an American flag, and I believe the Pledge of Allegiance should once again begin each school day. Not because every child must think alike, but because every child should understand what allows us to think differently in the first place.
Teachers have their own beliefs and opinions, just as everyone else does. They should. But their responsibility is to educate children, not impose political beliefs upon them. First, teach children what makes America possible. Then give them the knowledge and freedom to decide what they believe. Because if we don’t teach our children what unites us, someone else will teach them what divides us.
Meanwhile, most Americans are simply trying to live their lives. Farmers want to farm. Businesses want to stay in business. Working families want to raise their children, pay their bills, and have enough left over to enjoy life.
Government grows more complicated while life becomes more expensive. Career politicians make decisions affecting people they often don’t understand, while benefiting from the very divisions they should be working to solve.
A country does not have to agree with itself to survive. But its people have to believe they belong to the same country. We don’t have to think alike, we don’t have to vote alike, we don’t even have to like each other’s politics. But we do have to remember that we are Americans.
So maybe the question isn’t simply, “Where do we go from here?” Maybe the question is this: What are we willing to do to find our way back to what was intended?
The answer starts with all of us. Because before we are Republicans or Democrats, before we are identified by race, culture, or social group, we are Americans. And that should still mean something.
