Late 17th century political philosopher, Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, believed that “in order to preserve a government system, citizens must love it.”
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy encouraged Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you…ask what you can do for your country.”
Earlier this year, President Barack Obama asked Americans to “hope and believe.”
We can only succeed as a nation by loving our homeland and the political regime that our Founding Fathers believed best for this growing nation. This does not mean that we must agree with all laws and ideals, or what Montesquieu called principles, but rather love the nature of the country, its original ideals; liberty and justice for all. “Love of the homeland leads to goodness in mores, and goodness in mores leads to love for the homeland.”
As a nation, we advance by loving, but also by doing. The United States was founded as a representative republic, under a federal system. As citizens of this republic, we are required to contribute to the development of this system. This is the government of the people; it is our responsibility to preserve peace, justice for all, and equality, for “love of democracy is love of equality.”
AS WE THE PEOPLE love and do, we must also hope and believe. During this times of war, sorrow, economic crisis, and political debates, we must continue to love the nature of our nation, and contribute to its political, economic, and social success.
The nation is currently discussing one of the most controversial public policies in modern politics. What began with President Truman, and continued with Kennedy, Johnson, and Clinton, is still a debate under the Obama administration—Health Care—How can we provide health care to the American people, while maintaining its quality, at a reasonable cost? Should all Americans have a health plan?
These are the questions that have divided this nation as the summer comes to an end.
Whatever side of the debate you are on; do not stop loving the nature of this republic. Continue to do, and most importantly, hope and believe.
Just thinking...
2 comments:
Every citizen should have access to healthcare.
One of my saddest stories I wrote for the paper was about a 22-year-old college student who was diagnosed with cancer. Because of it, he had to drop out of school but that also meant he had to drop his health insurance through school. At his age, he was too old to be put on his parents' health insurance plan. And because of his diagnosis, NO insurance company would take him on.
So, his family had to sell their house and hold numerous fundraisers to pay for his treatments. It broke my heart. They are now homeless and hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt.
And then a few days ago I came across a large group of people protesting this new healthcare policy and it just made me sad. Does a tragedy like that have to happen to them until they realize what they are protesting against?
Okay, sorry for going on. I'm a bit passionate about this topic.
Very true, we need to love the country we are in because if not, we could fall apart.
Post a Comment