The Forge of Amerca

[Originally written 11/06/2013]

Just a thought…

America is a nation born of and defined by revolution. The war for independence; the civil war and freeing of the slaves; women’s rights; civil rights; marriage equality… These shape us. This does not mean that we are always the most progressive nation. In fact, our insistence on democracy, and the integrity of the individual, guarantees that we must struggle for the best in ourselves. The important things are won by struggle, and valued above all else because of the hard fought victories. Because we fight for what matters most. And we cannot be a great nation – at least not one that upholds the ideals it was founded upon – without that struggle.

It means the America we value will never be free of struggle. We have been described as a melting pot, but in truth we are more like a forge. We take raw material and we purify with fire and with muscle and with temperance. But it is hard work. And there is much impurity in the raw material, so we must return to the forge again and again, ever purging and shaping into something better.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.