Yes, America is great. This has been proven time and time again. The continued making of history has revealed the incredible nature of our tremendous nation. Our nation is a cultural and political mosaic— what we care about has no confining borders, physically or ideologically. However, for some, this country seem to be the one and only nation with deep systemic challenges.
This is very wrong. Let me clarify: My country is not mediocre or heinous, it’s empowering and hopeful. Our past is a triumphant one. Our past is virtuous, exemplified by our record of foreign aid and our continuous pledge to defend the world against tyranny. Our past is life, health, liberation, freedom, generosity, truth—the list goes on. Our inability to see our past for what it actually is blinds us, making us unsupportive of the grand, albeit not perfect, institution in which we find ourselves today. This is extreme tunnel vision bordering on delusion.
During his presidency, Ronald Reagan used the “City Upon a Hill” metaphor to describe America. This image is of course not one original to Reagan but rather is an echo of a sentiment introduced by John Winthrop during the Colonial Era. Taken in its literary context, the “City Upon a Hill” stems from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, during which He taught the New Law. Regardless of its specific religious origins, the core messages imparted through this passage are profoundly human and broadly accepted. Humility, peace, courage, respect—all hardly controversial. The “City Upon a Hill” speaks as much to hope of a brighter world as it does to the duty of all of us to strive to live and spread these basic values. It speaks to our potential as individuals and as a nation, first used at a time when America was practically the only true refuge of thought, speech, and belief.
Regardless of whether this metaphor has ever appropriately described the United States, I fail to understand why it cannot be used as an ultimate goal or benchmark. Perhaps America falls short of totally espousing these values, but perhaps no nation in the world will ever be worthy of such a comparison. However, is falling short of this lofty goal justification to argue a lack of greatness? To do so would deny any and all good done by that nation and effectively render it equal to one that didn’t strive at all. Perhaps, in relating America to this “City Upon a Hill,” history is trying to teach us of our own potential rather than laud some national achievement. The “City Upon a Hill” is an ultimate objective we have yet to accomplish. Such a limitless goal is noble; and in recognizing that improvements have yet to be made, one must exhibit a great deal of both faith and humility.
“Blind patriotism” is certainly objectionable. “Blind” anything is unhelpful and often damaging. Blind criticism and degradation is no different, especially that which encroaches on hypocrisy. One cannot accurately judge a person or action in isolation. A good judge recognizes all the factors involved before rendering an opinion. He does not merely gather and proffer data that supports his claim at the expense of that which refutes it— to do so would be unjust and unfair. In the same way, both those who blindly hate and those who blindly adore have both equally erred, and neither is more correct than the other.
America is forever evolving, whether that be demographically, ethnically, structurally, or otherwise. She is dynamic and is a product of imperfect people living in imperfect times. To expect perfection is irrational, but to deny it praise and love specifically on these grounds is also a grave mistake. America is great, and her people and institutions have made an undeniably positive impact on the global community. We must never stop seeking to model ourselves after the “City Upon a Hill,” for it has always been the hope in a better reality that allows us to succeed. We must never stop being patriots, for patriotism is the faith in these founding ideals and a desire to make tomorrow better than today. Only with an end-goal in sight can a project begin to take shape, so why not make that goal perfection? This ambition and dedication is where greatness lies.
Mark Alvarez is a senior majoring in finance and economics. He is a guest contributor.
