Thinking about the 4th of July

I am not usually someone who is an outwardly patriotic person, I don't fly a flag at home and I do not go around professing my love for the U.S. but just because I don't do those things, does that make me less patriotic or loyal? Just 5 years ago, a newly identified politician with a funny name gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention, talking about "there is not a liberal America and a conservative America — there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America — there’s the United States of America. The pundits, the pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too:
We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and yes, we’ve got some gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq.
We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. In the end, that’s what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate in a politics of hope?" Yes, those are the words of our current president, Barack Obama.

Whether you agree with Obama as a leader or not, those words should ring true with all Americans. We have common values and viewpoints, even when we focus our differences. I have been so discouraged by the discourse happening in this country, where people cannot have differing opinions but must vehemently disregard the opinions of others. This past week has brought another round of disappointing news: a governor who broke the trust of the people in his state and, more importantly, broke the trust of his family; unemployment reaching another scary high; political bartering with state budgets and important issues like health care. Sometimes when we hear all that, it can be discouraging and hope gets lost.

And, this 4th of July I am hopeful that we are going to find a way as a nation to respect one another, respect everyone's right to freedom and not give up hope, even if our government or our leaders don't always inspire it. Because I think that, regardless of how you show it or don't, patriotism is not something that can be measured or ranked or won, it is just part of being American and that applies to all of us, regardless of our political positions, the color of our state or the place we worship.