COMMENTARY

“Standing up for conservative values is not supposed to be a rejection of progressive values. Being Christian is not about rejecting those who are not. We are a nation of continuums, not of absolutes.”

MILT THOMAS

As we celebrate our independence as a free nation,  we should reflect on what is truly unique about us. Yes, there are many other democracies in this world, at least in name, but few countries go to the lengths we do to share our uniqueness.

So how are we unique? One way is the way in which we treat others. It is easy to criticize our foreign policy without acknowledging the core values underlying it. Chief among those values is compassion. As a nation we have always tried to help others. We like to think of ourselves as compassionate people, but there are times we must remind ourselves how important compassion is to our uniqueness.

America is a country of immigrants. Go anywhere in the US and you will find groups, cities and even regions that identify with their countries of origin. Chicago is the largest Polish city outside of Warsaw itself; Pennsylvania Dutch (“Deutsch”) country was settled by Germans; E. Nelson Fell founded Fellsmere, but also founded Narcoossee in the Orlando area – as a British colony. There are countless other examples, especially in major cities. What was New York without Irish, Italian and Jewish immigrants? Los Angeles without Hispanics and Asians? Detroit without Muslims? Yes, Muslims. And of course those among us who were forced to come here as slaves.

All these nationalities became American as they absorbed our cultural identity while maintaining their own uniqueness. The compassion that has motivated so much of our foreign policy began right here – which is why it is so important we do not follow the other poor examples of ignorance and hatred that exist in today’s world.

It is easy to fall into a “we vs. them” mentality towards those of us who are not Christian or not our race or not Republican. It is in our tribal DNA. Our brand of democracy represents the most advanced development of civilization in human history, where different people can function together yet retain their individual differences.

Standing up for conservative values is not supposed to be a rejection of progressive values. Being Christian is not about rejecting those who are not. We are a nation of continuums, not of absolutes. As we head into our election cycle we want to elect leaders, not because they claim to be more Christian or less progressive, but because they will lead all of us into the future. All of us.

Compassion is a virtue that our Founding Fathers tried to incorporate into the Constitution:

 “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

There is no “we vs. them” in the Preamble to our Constitution. Tolerance is not the opposite of intolerance. Respect and acceptance of those who are different is the opposite of intolerance. People of all races and religious convictions have died in defense of our liberty and continue to do so.

Compassion is not a political movement, but it should be. It is at the heart of all religions so it should be in our hearts as well. That is the America we celebrate today.