Americanism

In the few political clips I’ve seen this election campaign, everyone – politicians and journalists both – claim to know what Americans want. But before you can really answer this question, you must first understand what an American is. What does it mean to be an American?

I think many people living in the United States have forgotten the country was founded by immigrants. It was founded by the type of people who took chances, the ones who said, “I want to take a chance going to a new place to provide a better life for myself and my family.” (for the most part)

Hundreds of years later, immigrants still feel that way. Despite its poor reputation in the world and increasingly dismal domestic issues, it is still without question, the most sought after country to live in the world.

What happened? When did resident Americans gain this sense of entitlement that America is theirs to offer?

America belongs to no one. In fact, America is not even a place, it’s a state of mind. America, in its purest sense, is the most successful, well-grounded religion ever established. It is a place that grants people the chance, through ambition, innovation and hard work to earn a way of life of their choice. It also says to anybody who tries to tamper with that belief, that they will be destroyed.

Believing in America also means to never forget we are all immigrants and that the door is closed to no one.

After 9/11, we closed the doors to most immigrants. 9/11 was the day the American government had the opportunity to reevaluate how the United States went about pursuing its way of life. The government seemed to know what America wanted – it shut its borders down and stopped listening to its citizens and its enemies. At that point, the belief of America began to dwindle.

Seven years later, America found two presidential candidates who undoubtedly symbolize the spirit of America: a man who in a time of war set his own freedom aside until it was granted all his men, and a man who came from little and earned his freedom through hard work and determination.

A war hero – who defended the American spirit,
and a self-made man – who pursued the American dream.

Now, the issue is not about the character of the two men running for office. They, in their own actions at one point in time, truly exuded the spirit of America. But, as with any religion, it’s near impossible to put that spirit into words.

I believe in America. I believe in a place where ambition, innovation and hard work can bring happiness to ones life. Even with two people like the opposing truly American presidential candidates poised to lead America next, judging from their gross inability to know what I, as an American, want from my government, I believe our flame is not about to burn any brighter.

As the current administration has eloquently shown us over the last eight years, no one is responsible for this. It is both – the government’s miscalculation of what Americans want and the population’s inability to tell them what they want – that is undermining the integrity of our great nation.

In order to restore our nation to what it once was – a place of prosperity, growth and unparalleled innovation – Americans must figure out what they want and communicate this message to their government.

So, what is it we want? Or how about, what are the specific beliefs we hope our priests and rabbis carryout in the belief of Americanism?