As America celebrates its 249th birthday, we are called not just to light fireworks or wave flags, but to reflect on the enduring principles that gave birth to the greatest nation in human history. The United States was founded on a bold and revolutionary premise — that our rights come not from kings or governments, but from God. The Declaration of Independence enshrined the radical idea that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, including Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
Those sacred words, penned in 1776 by men willing to pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, still echo through the centuries. And while America is not perfect — no nation of human beings ever is — America is truly remarkable and exceptional — and America remains the most powerful, most generous, and most freedom-loving country the world has ever known.
But today, patriotism is under siege. According to a recent Gallup poll, only 58% of Americans say they are “extremely” or “very” proud to be American — a troubling decline that reflects a dangerous erosion of national unity and historical understanding. Among Democrats, that number is a dismal 36%. This is not merely a partisan statistic; it’s a national warning sign.
Let us be blunt: The United States has liberated more people, created more prosperity, and upheld more freedom than any nation in world history. Our Constitution, with its checks and balances, its separation of powers, and its Bill of Rights, has been the gold standard for liberty for nearly two and a half centuries. Our Founders created a republic—not a pure democracy — because they understood that true liberty requires not just majority rule, but enduring principles of justice that protect the rights of the individual against the mob.
In a republic, we vote on tax rates and public policy — not on whether you can speak your mind, worship as you please, or defend yourself. These rights are not up for a vote. They are yours by birthright from God.
And yet, in our own country, an alarming number of citizens — especially on the political Left — appear embarrassed by America. They criticize it as irredeemably racist, oppressive, or outdated. They shout down free speech, vandalize monuments, and rewrite history to fit a narrative of shame and self-loathing.
Let us ask the obvious question: If America isn’t good enough, what country is?
China? A communist dictatorship that censors speech, crushes dissent, and operates concentration camps for ethnic minorities? Russia? A corrupt autocracy that imprisons journalists and poisons political opponents? Iran? A nation where women are second-class citizens and gay people are punished — sometimes by death—for merely existing?
Or perhaps it’s one of the Scandinavian socialist utopias so often admired by the Left, where the average citizen surrenders more than half their income in taxes and enjoys far fewer constitutional protections than we take for granted?
Or perhaps the United Kingdom, where now people are arrested for praying silently in public. And where a member of the parliament suggested that even if they were praying in their home but could be seen through the window by people outside, that could warrant an arrest.
The truth is, there is no nation like America. No nation so committed to individual liberty. No nation that has offered such boundless opportunity to those willing to work hard, dream big, and play by the rules. The United States generates over 26% of the world’s GDP and is home to more than 10 of the world’s most valuable companies — because here, unlike most places, the government doesn’t punish success; it was designed to protect your right to pursue it.
Our military, the most capable force in human history, has not been used to conquer, but to liberate — from the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of Afghanistan. No empire in history has wielded such power so often on behalf of others. When America leads, the world becomes freer, safer, and more prosperous.
So why the growing hostility toward the very country that makes all this possible? Why do some Americans bite the hand that feeds them, insults the nation that shelters them, and burn the flag that guarantees their right to dissent?
The answer lies in a failure of education and a failure of gratitude and the expansion of socialism and totalitarianism on the Left.
We have allowed a generation to be raised on grievance rather than gratitude. We’ve failed to teach the difference between liberty and license, between justice and mob rule, between the noble aspirations of 1776 and the flawed human beings who fought to realize them. As a result, too many young Americans know America’s sins, but not her sacrifices. They know her faults, but not her virtues. And they take for granted the very freedoms billions across the globe still yearn for.
That must change. It is time to rekindle the American spirit and patriotism!
Patriotism does not mean blindness to our shortcomings. But it does mean fidelity to our founding principles. It means honoring the sacrifices of those who came before us, and defending the freedoms they secured at great cost. It means remembering that our rights are not gifts from government, but inheritances from God, protected by the Constitution and secured by the blood of patriots.
To those who are ashamed of America, I say this: You are free to leave. That’s the beauty of liberty. But if you choose to stay, then I urge you to open your eyes. Look not only at our flaws, but at our unmatched virtues. Look not only at what divides us, but what unites us. Look not only at where we fall short, but at how far we’ve come.
On this, America’s 249th Independence Day, let us remember who we are: a nation forged in freedom, guided by principle, and destined for greatness. Let us reject the voices of division and despair. Let us once again be proud to be Americans — not because we are perfect, but because we are free.
And let us resolve that when July 4th, 2026 — the 250th anniversary of American independence — arrives, we will greet it not with shame, but with pride. Not with self-doubt, but with resolve. Not with silence, but with a thunderous chorus of voices saying together: We are Americans. And we are proud.