By Quddus Z. Snyder
America is an idea and an ideal. To be American is to believe in the idea that all people are created equal and that all should live free. Our story is that of a flawed nation and an imperfect government struggling to fulfill the promise of a flawless and perfect ideal. Today, I invite you to join me in rediscovering our past, and with it, what it means to be an American.
kAm%@ 36 p>6C:42? :D E@ =@?8 7@C 7C665@>] x7 J@F C6G:D:E E96 AF3=:4 5632E6 DFCC@F?5:?8 E96 25@AE:@? @7 E96 `fgf r@?DE:EFE:@?[ H6 7:?5 E92E 7@=<D H6C6 D:?8F=2C=J @3D6DD65 H:E9 =:36CEJ — E96 :562 E92E A6@A=6 D9@F=5 92G6 4@?EC@= @G6C E96J @H? 72E6] %96 4@=@?:DED H9@ 42>6 E@ p>6C:42 925 2 7:6C46=J :?56A6?56?E DEC62<[ AC64:D6=J 3642FD6 E96J 2CC:G65 H:E9 G6CJ =:EE=6[ 2?5 H6C6 86?6C2==J 7@C465 E@ C6=J @? E96>D6=G6D E@ AC@G:56 7@C E96:C @H? D64FC:EJ[ AC@DA6C:EJ 2?5 92AA:?6DD]k^Am
kAmpD E96 ?2D46?E p>6C:42? ?2E:@? H2D 3@C?[ H6 2=D@ 7:?5 E92E A6@A=6 H6C6 @3D6DD65 H:E9 6BF2=:EJ — E96 :562 E92E ?@ @?6 >2? H2D 4C62E65 DFA6C:@C E@ 2?J @E96C] r@=@?:DED H9@ D6EE=65 E96 ?6H H@C=5 C6;64E65 E96 t?8=:D9 E:E=6D @7 ?@3:=:EJ 2?5 E96 244@>A2?J:?8 C:89ED 2?5 AC:G:=686D[ H9:49 E96J G:6H65 2D 2C3:EC2CJ 2?5 F?;FDE] %@ DE6A 7@@E @? p>6C:42? D@:= >62?E E92E J@F H6C6 @? 2? 6BF2= 7@@E:?8] }@H H6 D66 E92E E96 p>6C:42? DE@CJ[ 2?5 E96 QDA:C:E @7 `ffe[Q C6AC6D6?E 2 C6;64E:@? @7 t?8=2?5 — E96 2C3:EC2CJ CF=6 @7 2 5:G:?6 C:89E >@?2C49 2?5 E96 4=2DD 32D65 D@4:2= DECF4EFC6 E92E 6=6G2E65 D@>6 23@G6 @E96CD]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96? E9:?8D 86E >6DDJ] %96 AC@3=6> 7C@> E96 368:??:?8 H2D E92E E96 :562 @7 p>6C:42 2D 2 ?2E:@? 7@F?565 @? =:36CEJ 2?5 6BF2=:EJ @?=J 2AA=:65 E@ A6@A=6 H:E9 A6?:D6D[ H9@ H6C6 H9:E6 2?5 2=D@ @H?65 AC@A6CEJ]k^Am
kAmp?5 ?@H96C6 H2D E9:D 4@?7=:4E >@C6 AC@?@F?465 E92? :? E96 42D6 @7 p>6C:42’D @C:8:?2= D:?i E96 :?DE:EFE:@? @7 D=2G6CJ] r@?D:56C 7@C 6I2>A=6 E92E 6G6? 2D E96 &]$] r@?DE:EFE:@? 277:C>65 E92E 2== >6? 2C6 4C62E65 6BF2= — 2 AC:?4:A=6 6?D9C:?65 :? E96 s64=2C2E:@? @7 x?56A6?56?46 — :E 2=D@ AC@9:3:E65 E96 ?6H=J 7@C>65 r@?8C6DD 7C@> @FE=2H:?8 E96 pE=2?E:4 D=2G6 EC256 7@C a_ J62CD[ 2?5 >@C6 D:8?:7:42?E=J[ 96=5 E92E D=2G6D H@F=5 4@F?E 2D E9C66\7:7E9D @7 2 A6CD@? H96? E2==J:?8 2 DE2E6’D A@AF=2E:@? 7@C AFCA@D6D @7 2AA@CE:@?:?8 E96 ?F>36C @7 D62ED :? E96 w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D — 2 =@FDJ 4@>AC@>:D6 3@@DE:?8 D=2G6 DE2E6 A@H6C]k^Am
kAmp?5 ?@H H6 D66 E92E p>6C:42 :D 2 DE@CJ 23@FE @?6 ?2E:@?’D DECF88=6 E@ =:G6 FA E@ :ED @H? 362FE:7F= :562=D] %@52J[ #6AF3=:42?D D9@F=5 E2<6 8C62E AC:56 :? E96 96C:E286 @7 E96:C !2CEJ[ H9:49 F?56C E96 =6256CD9:A @7 p3C292> {:?4@=? 6>2?4:A2E65 D=2G6Di #6AF3=:42?D CFE9=6DD=J C2>>65 E9C@F89 E96 `bE9 p>6?5>6?E[ 23@=:D9:?8 D=2G6CJj 2?5 E96 `cE9 p>6?5>6?E[ 8F2C2?E66:?8 4:E:K6?D9:A E@ q=24<D 2?5 7@C4:?8 DE2E6D E@ C6DA64E E96 q:== @7 #:89ED’ 8F2C2?E66 E92E 6G6CJ@?6 6?;@J 6BF2= AC@E64E:@? F?56C E96 =2Hj 2?5 7:?2==J E96 `dE9 p>6?5>6?E[ D64FC:?8 7@C>6C D=2G6D E96 C:89E E@ G@E6]k^Am
kAmqFE 6G6? 2D q=24< A6@A=6 925 366? 7C665[ ECF6 6BF2=:EJ 2?5 =:36CEJ H@F=5 C6>2:? G6CJ 6=FD:G6 2D E96 ?2E:@?[ 2?5 6DA64:2==J E96 $@FE9[ 6?E6C65 2 `__\J62C A6C:@5 @7 =682= D68C682E:@? 2?5 q=24< G@E6C DFAAC6DD:@? <?@H? 2D E96 y:> rC@H 6C2] %@52J H6 46=63C2E6 E96 =:76 @7 E96 #6G] sC] |2CE:? {FE96C z:?8 yC][ 62D:=J @?6 @7 E96 8C62E6DE p>6C:42?D E@ 92G6 6G6C H2=<65 :? @FC >:5DE]k^Am
kAmx7 {:?4@=? :D E96 DJ>3@=:4 6>3@5:>6?E @7 E96 7:89E E92E 4F=>:?2E65 :? E96 t>2?4:A2E:@? !C@4=2>2E:@?[ E96? sC] z:?8 6>3@5:6D E96 G:4E@C:@FD DECF88=6 E@ 3FCJ y:> rC@H]k^Am
kAmsC] z:?8’D 3C:==:2?46 H2D 9:D 23:=:EJ[ E9C@F89 A62467F= =2?8F286 2?5 24E:@?[ E@ :?G:E6 6249 p>6C:42? E@ =:G6 FA E@ E96 :562=D @7 6BF2=:EJ 2?5 =:36CEJ] xE H2D 2? 2C8F>6?E D@ 4@>A6==:?8 2?5 D@ G:CEF@FD E92E :E H2D 56DE:?65 E@ H:?] p?5 :E 5:5]k^Am
kAmx? `hec[ r@?8C6DD 32??65 5:D4C:>:?2E:@? 2?5 D68C682E:@? :? 2== AF3=:4 244@>>@52E:@?D[ 7656C2==J 7F?565 AC@8C2>D 2?5 D49@@=D] vC@H:?8 :>A2E:6?E H:E9 D@FE96C? 677@CED E@ DFAAC6DD E96 q=24< G@E6[ !C6D:56?E y@9?D@? 5:C64E65 9:D 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2= E@ 5C27E “E96 8@5\52>?56DE[ E@F896DE G@E:?8 C:89ED 24E” 96 4@F=5] p?5 E96 =2?5>2C< `hed '@E:?8 #:89ED p4E H2D ;FDE E92E[ 2? :562]k^Am
kAmx? 9:D C6D@=FE6 G@:46[ H6 962C %9@>2D y6776CD@? 2?5 p3C292> {:?4@=? 2D 96 @FE=:?6D H:E9 8C62E 4=2C:EJ @FC p>6C:42? :562=D] x? 9:D 8=@H:?8 DA:C:E[ H6 D66 9:D 5C62> @7 6BF2=:EJ[ =:36CEJ 2?5 F?:EJ — 2 5C62> E92E :D 2=D@ @FCD 3642FD6 :E :D E96 ECF6 p>6C:42? sC62>]k^Am
kAmx? 9:D A62467F= 56>62?@C[ H6 2AAC64:2E6 9:D DEC6?8E9[ E96 G6CJ D2>6 4@FC286 962C5 :? !2EC:4< w6?CJ’D `ffd DA6649 :? H9:49 96 D2:5[ “8:G6 >6 =:36CEJ @C 8:G6 >6 562E9]” p?5 @? pAC:= c[ `heg[ E96 A62467F= sC] z:?8 H2D <:==65 7@C E96 p>6C:42? :562=D @7 =:36CEJ 2?5 6BF2=:EJ E92E 96 DA6?E 9:D =:76 5676?5:?8]k^Am
kAmp?5 H92E 5@6D E9:D >62? 7@C FD E@52Jn %9:D :D 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ D66 J@FCD6=7 2D A2CE @7 2? F?7@=5:?8 p>6C:42? DE@CJ] t249 @7 FD[ :>A6C764E 2D H6 2C6[ :D 42==65 E@ 9@?@C E96 ECF6 p>6C:42? :562=D @7 6BF2=:EJ 2?5 =:36CEJ] x? @FC A6CD@?2= =:G6D[ H6 92G6 2 >@C2= 5FEJ E@ 6>3@5J 2 DA:C:E @7 3C@E96C9@@5 2?5 E@=6C2?46 E@H2C5 E9@D6 H9@ 2C6 5:776C6?E] p?5 :? @FC AF3=:4 =:G6D[ H6 2C6 3@F?5 3J 2 4:G:4 5FEJ E@ 492>A:@? 6BF2=:EJ 2?5 E96 D24C65 C:89E E@ G@E6[ E96 7@F?E2:?9625 @7 @FC 496C:D965 =:36CEJ]k^Am
kAmsC] z:?8 D2:5[ “{6E 7C665@> C:?8 7C@> E96 AC@5:8:@FD 9:==E@AD @7 }6H w2>AD9:C6]”k^Am
kAmx H2D 3@C? 2E@A {J>2? |@F?E2:?[ H9:49 :D 32D:42==J 2 9:==[ 2?5 x E2<6 E92E 42== D6C:@FD=J] %@ 36 2? p>6C:42? :D E@ 36 2 5676?56C @7 6BF2=:EJ 2?5 =:36CEJ[ 2?5 H96? H6 5@ D@ H:E9 9@?6DE 962CE[ :? H92E6G6C H2J H6 <?@H 9@H[ H6 H:== 2=H2JD =2?5 @? E96 C:89E D:56 @7 9:DE@CJ]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.