The United States World Cup team lost 2-1 to Ghana on Saturday, eliminating the US from the World Cup tournament.
So, who is “we?”
The United States is a nearly unique collection of people, diverse, a melting pot of many ethnic groups, influenced by many cultures.
In our midst, we have a broad (as if that description is sufficient) range of political and social views. Our geography varies from “purple mountain’s majesty” to “oceans, white with foam.”
(Black with oil doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.)
If you think about it, we Americans are a fairly weird bunch. We have produced greatness, like the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., yet we still have people that think that the State of New Mexico is a foreign country.
Our country is divided sharply by Red and Blue, and the incessant volleys of fire between the two camps constantly rises to a deafening roar.
So, who is “we?”
On December 7, 1941, the American people rose as one, defiant and united, dedicated to defeating Imperial Japan, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. On September 11, 2001, we rose once again, dedicated to defeating an unseen enemy that had attacked us without provocation.
Absent those eras, we are not much of a united citizenry. The truth is, we are much more likely to unite over a sporting event than we are over any other issue. The flags waved after the “Miracle on Ice” and even after the victory of the “Dream Team.”
So, who is “we?”
I ponder our future. Will we, as a people, rise up once again to address the issues that face our society or has the partisan divide and social issues divided us to the breaking point?
We are a great people. America has been a shining example of the good in a society in many regards.
We are also burdened with shame for some of our past actions, the genocide of Native Americans, slavery and segregation, the bigotry of anti-gay attitudes and the marginalizing of women.
So, who is “we?”
William Stephenson Clark
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 