Remember This: Why America Is Still Worth Believing In

Why Think American News Began

Think American News began, not so very long ago, to advance one basic principle, and that, simply stated, was that the history, culture, and traditions of our country constituted the best way to both be honest about our shortcomings (past and present) and to provide the building blocks to improve things. I’ve done my best to emphasize the wisdom of honoring this history, culture, and tradition.

Rejecting the False Choice

Among the most frustrating elements of this general conversation is pretending the choice consists of what can only be called a false dichotomy. Those less friendly than me towards our history, culture, and traditions say we either adopt a whole new world view or be guilty of refusing to be honest with ourselves. This is otherwise known as circular logic and complete BS.

Honesty Without Abandonment

We can be “honest” about things without concluding that the identification of shortcomings requires us to turn our back on our history, culture, and traditions. One aspect of this process deserves special mention. That would be historical context and comparing to others.

Context Matters in History

Slavery is indeed a stain on our souls. No tortured logic will ever justify it. However, explaining it can properly include more than labeling anyone associated with the peculiar institution as an evil, worthless human being. At the time, black Africans were securing more white slaves than black slaves coming to the United States. Also, back then, we were way more the United States. Individuals often never left the county where they were born, much less the state. Their first allegiance was to their state, not the country as a whole. In those days, high-speed internet access was not all that good. We did not even have public education in parts of our country. In other words, you surely say, ultimately, there is no excuse for slavery, while also demonstrating it had a context of a time much different than current America.

Not Every Conversation Is an Away Game

The real problem is that not every discussion should be an away game. There are atheists who will wear you out about “how could there be a great and good God when ….?” Turn that question around. A new child is born. Name me the mother, or the father, witnessing the birth of a new child as a miracle and gift, claiming there is no God. Go to Glacier National Forest, or Lake Tahoe, or the Shenandoah Valley, or the Sand Hills, or 500 other places in this country. If you can look at any, not to say all, of this and say there is nothing greater than you, I got nothing for you. Instead of the question being how can bad occur with a God, how about asking how this much beauty and goodness could occur without a God?

A Balanced View of America

My contention is that we should view our history and future in the same balanced way. Instead of every question starting with do I agree something is bad and wrong, how about asking how this much liberty, freedom, and opportunity could happen for so many people, if there was not a whole lot good and right about America, about our history, culture, and traditions? Either the starting point is that we are a flawed but good and decent people, or with a view that we are terrible and need to be guided and controlled by those who have properly determined what we should all be thinking and doing. Count me as voting for number one.

Principles Worth Preserving

We simply cannot allow the principles that your word should be good, hard work counts, and competition brings out the best in people, and so much more, to go by the wayside. We are a great and good people, and we humbly owe it to ourselves to believe this.

Remember This

Remember this: There is a reason we sing: “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” We owe it to future generations to honor the truth of those words. What do you think?