John, As we celebrate America's Independence Day, I've been reflecting on what it means to be an American, and why the nature of our politics in Washington D.C. seems to sometimes project to the world an image of our nation that is losing our honor and compassion.
But away from the Washington circus, I see those American values reflected every day in simple acts of kindness. I see them when strangers hold doors open for others, or when one driver lets another go in front of them in traffic, or when someone donates food or cash to a homeless person they pass. That’s what it means to be an American.
The great power of America is not revealed by the actions of our elected leaders - it's shown by each of us in the way that we make a positive difference in our communities or on the lives of others by the actions we take each day.
I believe that America will rediscover what we can achieve when we heal this divide and work together again. I'm not naive to the scale of the challenge, but our nation's birthday is a time to reflect on all of our history: the achievements, the mistakes made, the lessons learned, the opportunity for hope.
Together, we have faced division before and I know that our brightest days are ahead. I'm counting on you to keep the faith!
Thank you for all that you are doing to help. Happy Birthday America! -John |
