The Declaration of Independence is the Country’s Mission Statement

The history of America is rife with people who rose beyond almost insurmountable odds to make a difference to their neighbors and the the community at large. Some people call it perseverance; others call it American exceptionalism.

Whatever it is called, derives from the foundation of our country. One of our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence, was written with one guiding principle. Words penned by Thomas Jefferson provided the essence of our great nation.

It’s essentially the mission statement of the United States of America, which explains, in part, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Anyone understanding the purpose of a mission statement realizes that it is both a founding principle and an aspiration. According to the Business Dictionary, it is something to be accomplished.

Has the United States achieved its goal? it is clear that we are working on it, and as a country, we are consistently striving to achieve it. Unlike progressive dogma, no one ever expected our country to be perfect or to have reached perfection. Progressive liberals want to legislate the perfect society as they see it. In the alternative, conservatives believe in the concept of American exceptionalism, which unlike popular Democrat opinion, is not dead, and never died.

We Are an Exceptionalist, Not an Imperialist, Country

It is the selfless attitude that came from that single statement written by an imperfect man and signed by another 55 imperfect souls that created the greatest nation in the history of humanity.

Unlike other nations, America does not conquer foes who have sought to destroy us. Once defeated, this country has always sought to rebuild out former enemies from the ashes. We looked beyond conflict to forge relationships and partnerships that reflect our identity. After the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812, America reached out to its former imperial masters to create a partnership that has lasted to the present day.

From 1861 to 1865, we fought a war to end the barbaric practice called slavery, and we moved ahead. Brothers were pitted against each other in the Civil War. About 360,000 Union soldiers died to successfully ensure freedom.

After the world wars, America rebuilt our foes in Germany and Japan into economic powerhouses and partners. We expanded our mission statement by welcoming immigrants from different cultures from around the world. We became a melting pot. Not one single nationality defines us. In his farewell address, President Ronald Reagan described America collectively as the shining city upon a hill.

America Is a Work in Progress

Has our country made mistakes? Obviously yes. We certainly did not treat Native Americans with the level of respect that they deserved. They were here first, and we fought them into submission and placed them on reservations.

The African-American community was purposely targeted after the abolition of slavery. Racism was a scourge that in many places still exists.

Discrimination against other ethnic groups has also occurred. Immigrants came to our country for a better life, and yes, some were exploited. As alluded to above, some came here forcibly. But those here now constitute who we are as a country.

Our Country Is Always Lending a Hand to Those Who Need It

We need to remember that far more people lent a hand and offered help to others than those who exploited. The majority of Americans were never part of the original sin of slavery. Their forebearers were immigrants themselves looking for a better world. Those stories may be too numerous and too ordinary to report. Blame America news sells, whereas acts of kindness, quite often, do not.

However, based upon our founding principle, the US has always sought to make amends for the past. This country has looked within ourselves time after time. Through the civil rights laws and other measures, we have corrected many wrongs and sought to overcome barriers that would have fractured most nations

The value of America comes from its citizens and the ability to bring diverse people together to thrive. The melting pot has always been part of the spirit of American exceptionalism. We firmly believe that anybody can accomplish their dreams in our society.

When a disaster occurs around the world, it is the American people, unlike any other nation in the world, that lends a hand. When earthquakes strike or hurricanes devastate many regions of the world, the US can always be counted upon for assistance.

We are always there to provide help, food, supplies, funds, and assistance. What other country has the sources and generosity to provide technical assistance, monetary aid, supplies, and people to assist others? The Army Corps of Engineers, for example, renders assistance in rebuilding efforts. Doctors travel from our country to help. Rand Paul, of our U.S. Senators, volunteers to perform eye surgeries for the poorest of the poor in affected regions.

COVID-19 Is a Call to Help Each Other

Lately, our country has been faced with something that we have not experienced perhaps since World War II. We are asked to sacrifice not for others, but for each other. The COVID-9 virus has spread to our shores, and we are needing to drastically reorganize daily life. People are staying at home from work and school and sheltering in place. But while the virus ravages our county, and quarantines prevail, many are standing up to be counted, including private sector businesses.

This list goes on. The American spirit is alive and well. In communities coast to coast, Americans are reaching out to their neighbors. In churches and in daycare centers, parents are receiving child care assistance. Truckers continue to deliver food to supermarkets. Essential businesses are still in operation This effort, as President Trump predicts, will unify America. Like “Rosie the Riveter,” Americans are pitching in.

The Media and Democrats Refuse to Celebrate the Can-Do Spirit

But does the media celebrate the accomplishments? No; instead they push doom and gloom. MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, on one hand, interviewed the commanding general of the Army Corps of Engineers, and on the other hand, laments that there are problems in the COVID-19 response. Of course there are challenges in a epidemic of this magnitude.

The media does not represent the American spirit and rejects American exceptionalism. It seems that they want the county to fail. Aligned with the media, the Democrats put up roadblocks in way of getting financial help to citizens who need it. Instead of a clean stimulus bill. they overloaded it with spending provisions that had nothing to do with helping Americans (what does the money for refugees or the Kennedy Center, have to do with American citizens out of work?).

Progressives and the media seem to revel in the problems, of America. They do not believe in American exceptionalism as a solution to our challenges. However, if history is a guide, the people of this great country believe in each other. We will do what it takes to overcome this pandemic. We will move beyond this emergency, united as fellow Americans. I hope the voters will remember in November the naysayers and doomsday predictors in the media and in Congress. Those rooting against our president and his team are all rooting for our country to fail.

At Friday’s press conference, a reporter asked the president was asked what we should tell our children about what is going on. His response was classic Trump:

“I would say that you are a citizen of the greatest country anywhere in the world….We were attacked, and we’re winning the battle, and we are going to win the war, and it’s not gonna take hopefully that much longer…I would say that they have a duty to sit back, watch, behave, wash their hands…and just learn from it…They should just sit back and be very proud of our country because we’re doing it for them.”

President Trump believes in American exceptionalism. That has been the point since day one and is the essence of the Make America Great Again movement.