The World Cup has surprisingly become the 250th birthday present Americans didn’t know they needed.
We’re glad. Too many polls have shown Americans wavering in their patriotism and their belief in the future of the nation. In the most recent poll conducted by Morning Consult for the Deseret News and the Hinckley Institute of Politics, 76% of Utahns said they are at least “somewhat” proud to be an American, but the results showed a deep political divide, with only 44% of Democrats agreeing.
Also, only 45% of Utahns said the nation’s best days lie ahead, not in the past. Young people aged 18-34 were the most pessimistic.
The World Cup has come just in time for what needs to be a momentous celebration of the greatest political and social experiment ever embarked upon by humankind. Through the eyes of thousands of foreign visitors, Americans are being reminded that they live in a uniquely prosperous, confident and innovative nation based on pillars of freedoms and liberties ranging from the free exercise of religion to competitive free enterprise and the ability to express thoughts and ideas as they desire.
All of this came not from stuffy lectures or textbooks, but through visits to restaurants, glimpses into the culture and, most importantly, personal interactions with Americans. Day after day, soccer fans visiting from abroad have posted videos expressing surprise and delight at things many Americans take for granted.
They have marveled at the concept of free refills for soft drinks, free chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants, portion sizes that dwarf what many have come to expect at home, the sheer size of American big-box retailers and the natural beauties they encountered while driving from state to state to cheer on their teams. But that is only one small part of the experience.
In one video, a young Irish couple who were visiting the country for fun (not for soccer) gave a touching account of how a restaurant owner in Alabama insisted on giving them a free meal. “It was just out of this world,” the wife says. “I was crying in the restaurant because I was so moved by it.”
Many have posted videos claiming the media in their home countries have lied to them, presenting an America riddled with crime, rude people and inhospitable conditions. What they found was the opposite — a nation ready to receive them with kindness and open arms.
Modern culture, ever myopic in its contemporary views, would say America is having a “moment.” In fact, it has had 250 years and counting.
Lots of nations have kind and generous people, of course. If that were the only thing Americans learned about themselves from these visitors, it would be unremarkable. America’s true greatness comes from its place in the world as a beacon for freedom and human rights.
Too many of the rising generation don’t appreciate what they are inheriting. The United States is the most remarkable nation in the history of the world. That doesn’t mean it is perfect or that it always has lived up to its ideals. But it is true because of its remarkable premise and its aspirational founding principles.
This metaphorical “city on a hill” continues to inspire and energize the independent spirit and the pursuit of happiness.
Until the Declaration of Independence, virtually everyone in the world was considered a subject of his or her own kingdom or governing body, granted whatever rights the state felt generous enough to allow. But the declaration turned that on its head, declaring that rights are granted by God and cannot be taken away by any ruling authority. It proclaimed it a “self-evident” truth that all people, from the president to the newest baby, are created equal. Not one is to be treated differently than another under the law. Everyone, then, was to be considered of exceptional worth.
As we said on the nation’s 200th birthday in 1976, “a nation which has come as far as this one has … clearly has enormous capacity to renew and reinvigorate itself.
“We will retain that capacity as long as human energy and inventiveness remain unfettered.”
America’s future depends on today’s generation. As thousands of visitors have shown, the nation still retains much of what could be termed greatness. Whether its best days lie ahead depends on how much each of us believes in the promise of its founding principles.
Saturday will be a good time to ponder this as we give thanks for an abundance of blessings and 250 glorious years.