Patriotism

This week we went to the National Archives and saw the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
After I finish listening to Condoleeza Rice's autobiography, I am going to listen to David McCullough's 1776. One of my favorite things about being here is all the things I am realizing and learning.

I have long had a skeptical attitude toward the sort of patriotism that expresses itself as American supremism.
David Sedaris put it really well in his book Me Talk Pretty One Day when he said that "sometimes Americans forget that other countries have nationalistic slogans of their own, none of which are 'We're number two!'"
Yet as I've toured Mount Vernon, seen the national monuments, and looked at our ancient documents, I feel, in a deep place in me, that it is true that "the Spirit of the Lord was upon the Gentiles, and the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations" (1 Ne 13:15, 19). (I like this video.)

You know, I said I was proud of America when I saw monuments and documents, but I've been proud even as I've walked the streets and seen the homeless and the uncaring, as I've followed politics and observed the out of touch and self-serving partisanship.

Why do I say this? Well, it's like this. America is a pretty cool place. We certainly have our mythology and our god-like heroes; yet somewhere underneath the mythology, the supermen, and the arrogance there really is a kickass brand-new idea called America, started by people who were sometimes strong and sometimes stupid, sometimes too partisan, sometimes just and righteous and sometimes greedy and selfserving--who were, in short, human. But I really think they believed in what they were doing. And what they did has become a phenomenon. This phenomenon is not unlike the people who started it: America sometimes does the right thing and sometimes does the stupid thing, sometimes we are generous and true to our ideals, and sometimes we fall preeeetty far.

So despite my reservations, I believe there is a way to believe in America. Not that we are better than everybody else; not that we are infallible. We have promises to keep, and many miles to go before we sleep.  But that what we have done here is completely unprecedented, and what we have done here is incredible. And I have a great hope that the "pieces" of the American dream "that are pure and true" will be the ultimate victors over poverty, ignorance, and greed. And most especially, I am grateful that I can be here in Washington D.C. putting in my little part to solve a sliver of our problems.