Collin Willis

As I got up to celebrate the United States of America this morning, a thought crossed my mind: What am I celebrating?

The easy answer is America, but what does that mean? As I look around at the nation as it stands today, I don’t see much to celebrate.

On the Nature of Patriotism

I don’t think that there is anything wrong with Patriotism, but I do have a strong issue with the wave of blind, vituperative Patriotism that has been sweeping our self-proclaimed great nation for the past few years. There seems to be a sense that if you criticize America or become aware of its flaws, that you have somehow become an enemy of its peoples.

This belief is greatly perpetuated by the appointed leader of the nation, and self-appointed guardian of Patriotism, who fans the flames of chaos every time his fingers touch the keyboard of his cellphone or his lips the windscreen of a microphone.

So when I look at the America of Today, I see a nation where we not only tolerate but invite abuse and division.

When I look at the America of Today

When I look at the America of Today, I see a divided nation lit aflame. Just this week, the body of an American soldier was found, murdered after she spoke out against sexual assault and abuse within the military that is supposed to be dedicated to protecting its citizens, let alone those within its ranks.

When I look at the America of Today, I see a nation that is content that Black and Brown men and women would die simply because the pigmentation in their skin is a different shade than our founding fathers’.

When I look at the America of Today, I see a nation that has ebulliently bowed down to a leader that regularly incites division, shifts blame, and puts his own people in harm’s way.

When I look at the America of Today, I see a nation where 132,000 people are dead, 40,000,000 are out of a job, and millions more are left pinching their final two pennies because those elected to protect them bailed themselves out first before giving thought to the constituents in their charge.

When I look at the America of Today, I see a nation where the name of Jesus has become conflated with specific political beliefs, where the gospel has been perverted and excoriated by those charged with defending it.

When I look at the America of Today, I see a nation where this standard is the same today… the same tomorrow… the same forever.

When I look at the America of Today, I feel sad.

Can America Be Great?

To say that we should make America great again is a folly. According the standards of modern society, America has never been great. In the minds of those alive at the time, America was great in 1776, and in 1860, and in 1941; but so was Great Britain, the Confederacy, and the Third Reich in the minds of their own citizens. In the minds of those perpetuating atrocity, their way is always correct.

And the fact of the matter is that America has done great things and brought great freedoms and opportunities to many people. I think this country is the greatest in the world because of what it has fought for when the time came but, that does not excuse the creation of the slave trade, the exploitation of immigrant workers, or the extra-judicial crimes of war committed in Vietnam and the Middle East.

America is great and has done great things, but it is also vile and has done much in the way of cruelty. To appreciate and celebrate it’s victories, one must also take a moment to remember its inveterate history of failure and mistake.

This is America

Today, I find celebrating America’s victories to be a little gauche. In the midst of all the chaos and brokenness prevailing on every street corner, it just feels wrong, because there are many Americans who don’t have cause to celebrate their captors today.

But I still love America, I love what it stands for; because, in the end, America is a country that stands for change. Maybe next year I’ll feel different, but as for today, I’m not proud of the country that currently exists. So I’ll still pop a Dr. Pepper and spend time with friends and family, but I won’t be shooting off fireworks and blaring songs with “America” or “U.S.A.” in the title, or swelling with pride when I see the flag. Today, I’ll be reflecting, thinking about the kind of America I’d be proud of, and what I can do to make it so.