Bob's Blog

I believe in America!

I believe in the Spirit of America, a Spirit that has made us as great as we are, and as great as we will continue to be . . . a Spirit of grace, generosity, civility, and love.

I believe that we have proven again and again we have the capacity to move beyond fleeting movements of hatred, rooted in little more than a fear of what the future might hold, and to replace those movements with unified fronts for goodness and hope.

I believe that disingenuous and dangerous attitudes don’t prevail for long, but that eventually light exposes their darkness, and that joy – accompanied by peace and justice – will always come in the morning.

I believe that we are a nation that has learned from our past, and that we continue to learn to ways to recognize, name, and eradicate color, gender, and religious bias from our life together.

I believe that the sins of yesterday will never be given the chance to resurrect themselves, and drag us back to days where differences were hidden rather than celebrated, and where unity meant some kind of artificial and disingenuous uniformity.

I believe that in the end, people do the right thing; that we know the sacred and holy difference between a life of sacrificial-service and a life of self-service; and that we are able to discern when liberty and justice for all is being sacrificed under the guise of ‘law and order.’

I believe that love never fails to trump hate, and that resurrection cannot be entombed by evil; that new life is not about forgetting what was, but rather anticipating what might be; and that learning from  yesterday can enhance and enrich all that tomorrow may hold.

I believe in America . . . through all the seasons of our common life . . . during times of great national triumph, as well as times of embarrassing national tragedy; when inspiring national leaders call upon us to have the audacity to hope, as well as when egos insert themselves into the spot light in order to do little more than acquire power and prestige.

I believe that in America, kindness and compassion infuse the very soul of our democracy; and that the common good, and common decency, are the common goals, of the common people.

I believe in an America . . . that I can believe in!

And I believe that on Tuesday, this is the America that all the world will see.