Let’s Live Up to Our Ideals
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- Published on Tuesday, 24 August 2010 18:07
- Written by Lucas Ives
Abraham Lincoln called the Civil War a test as to whether our nation, a nation of the people, by the people and for the people, could endure. Today we face a similar test. And today we must recognize that 'the people' of America are Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, Buddhists, believers of all types and non-believers alike. Today, 'the people' of America are White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, multi-cultural, gay and straight. The face of America reflects the faces of all people around the world. Today, as in the past, they come to America because it is a beacon of light and defender of freedom. It is the land of hope and opportunity.
Today we have an opportunity to show the world that we are that country. We live up to our ideals. We practice what we preach.
We have an opportunity today, to show the world that Americans don't judge others by their religion or the color of their skin. That we don't judge an entire group of people based on the actions of a few individuals within that group. In America, we welcome diversity in out communities. In America, we can stand hand-in-hand with our neighbor, as Dr. King dreamed, and celebrate our differences.
To those who protest the building of the Islamic Center in Manhattan, put down your signs of division. Quiet the voice of exclusion. Prove to the rest of the world that we are what we say we are: A country where all people can work and play, worship, celebrate and even mourn, side-by-side, peacefully.
To the supporters of the Islamic Center, be patient. The wounds of 9-11 are still open and emotions sometimes overpower reason.
Progress is a journey, often a difficult one. I am proud to be an American because, even though we sometimes fall along the way, we continue to learn. We continue to grow. And for over two and a quarter centuries we have come closer and closer to becoming a country that is truly of the people, by the people and for the people... All its people.
We have an opportunity, today, to take the next step forward on that journey. Let's stick to our road-map for progress. Let's take this next step together.
