Students stand in a classroom, place their hands over their hearts, face the flag, and loudly proclaim, “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” This well-known statement wraps up the United States pledge of allegiance and serves as a proud declaration of the American spirit. It is a bold claim considering the country’s history was built upon entitlement, oppression, and hypocrisy. Despite its shortcomings, the belief that America is unique and exemplary compared to other nations is widely held among the U.S. population. It is this American exceptionalism that has allowed the U.S. to confidently take control of the world stage and has justified its intervention in foreign affairs. With the unprecedented influence the United States of America has on the rest of the world, it is necessary to critically reflect on American values and their shortcomings in order to assess whether or not America is worthy of its “exceptionalism.” In this reflection, I will pay special attention to the values of freedom and equality and how they have shaped American identity.
If there is one word that Americans would use to set themselves apart from the rest of the world, it would be “freedom.” From a protestor’s freedom to spread misinformation to a corporation’s freedom to spend billions of dollars on a political campaign, Americans protect individual liberties to a fault. The U.S. founding fathers highlighted these freedoms when they created the Constitution, and since then they have remained a vital foundation of American identity. Originally designed to protect U.S. citizens from the government, they have failed to adapt to modern needs and have left the U.S. stuck in its traditional, outdated practices. Take, for example, the “right to keep and bear arms.” The second amendment guarantees Americans the right to own firearms for the “preservation of life, liberty, and property.” While this right may have made sense in the world Americans lived in during the 18th century, it has failed to adapt to modern technology and society. The protection of this right has led to an extraordinary rise in gun violence since the turn of the 21st century and an inability to pass new legislation to address the issue. It is this relentless adherence to traditional freedoms that has stunted America’s ability to make progress on social issues at the same rate as other modern countries.
Despite its championing of democracy and equality, America has yet to fully overcome its own hypocrisy. An examination of U.S. history reveals the exclusion of minority groups from participation in government activities meant to represent their best interests. “Freedom” is given and taken on the basis of factors such as race, class, gender, and sexual identity. Furthermore, these freedoms are limited to what is deemed important and appropriate by those who stand at the top of institutional power structures. The constitution as it stands was created by and for white male landowners, and it is this system that America has imposed upon other countries with the justification of spreading freedom and democracy. Despite the progressive and revolutionary nature of America’s democracy at the time of its indoctrination, the country has a long way to go before undoing the inequalities cemented into the power systems. I believe that America needs to confront its own demons to uphold the standard of equality it claims before inserting itself as an international role model.
No one can deny the influence of the United States of America on the modern world stage. It is with this power that the U.S. has taken an active role in intervening in foreign affairs and self-proclaiming itself as a leader of the free world. As great power comes with great responsibility, I urge us all to reflect on America’s traditional values in a constructive yet critical manner to determine if the U.S. is fit for the role. In order to fulfill the promises of freedom and equality, America must first confront its own missteps.
WMR
03-23-2024
MISTER WILLIAM REILLY 