Patriotic Greetings 2017: What the US is All About

Patriotic Greetings!

It's that time of year again that takes us back to the principal events at the heart of the foundation of the United States of America.

I got this picture of Independence Hall during my trip to Philadelphia last summer.

Following decades of colonial rule, tensions flared between Britain and the 13 British North American colonies in the years after 1763, when conflict between Britain and France concluded.  After more than a decade, American and British soldiers clashed at the Battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts, sparking the American Revolution, and the drive toward independence gained momentum.

On June 7, 1776, in a session of the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee offered the following resolution: "Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."

After taking about three weeks to consider it, the Congress debated the resolution on July 1.  On July 2, it passed unanimously, with a "yea" from each voting colony.  Congress then turned its attention to the draft of a document that Thomas Jefferson composed, explaining the reasoning for independence.  They adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4.

The American Revolution continued until a decisive American victory at Yorktown, Virginia, led in earnest to peace talks.  The war concluded with Britain recognizing US independence with the Treaty of Paris 1783 on September 3.

The story of those events is central to what the United States is about, and who we are as US citizens.  And to think of what this country has become in the years since, and how our understanding of what this country is and what it means to be a US citizen has come to encompass so much.

I've had plenty of experiences over the past year that have given me new perspectives on what this country is all about.

Certainly, I gained many insights on what this country is about last summer when visiting Independence Hall and other historical sites in Philadelphia that are at the heart of the founding of the United States.

After seeing where this country and its government got started, it was an incredible experience to see our governmental process in action, serving on the frontlines of this action as an election judge in November 2016 and April 2017.  Presidential elections are definitely high-profile, in part because of more focused media coverage, usually leading to higher turnout, evidenced at my polling place by a long line of voters in the early morning hours.  When the results of the elections were made known, political conversations continued as the process of selecting a president through electors' votes got greater visibility because of the unusual nature of the results for the 2016 election.  People got thinking more and more about the way our government works, and the implications of a system created over 200 years ago.

While they are normally not considered as high-profile as the presidential elections, there was just as much at stake in the local elections at the beginning of April 2017 in Oak Park, with candidates seeking seats on various local boards that direct the course of policy and the quality of life in the community.  And then there were the District 97 schools referenda, with much hinging on the choices Oak Park voters made on their ballots.  In the campaign season leading up to the election day, there was much conversation in the community about the best course of action to take, and implications of voting yes versus no.

It was so incredible and inspiring to see people come out and fulfill their civic duty by doing something as straightforward as coming to their local polling places and voicing their views through their votes, which I saw as the culmination of all the conversations that took place during the campaign season.  And to think that in our system of government, we have this kind of power to influence the quality of life by casting out ballots.

Voting is a way to exercise our citizenship, and I came to think about citizenship itself in a whole new way earlier this year when I obtained a United States passport for the first time in my life.  It's amazing to think that little book holds great power in asserting that I am, indeed, a citizen of the United States.  And it's fascinating to thumb through those pages and take stock of what this nation is about from viewing the images imprinted on those pages, like the bald eagle, Independence Hall, Mount Rushmore, and pioneers traveling westward.  The passport not only asserts my identity but also that of the United States, much as I imagine other countries similarly display their significant aspects in passports they issue.

I used that passport for the first time when I left the United States for the first time in 17 years for a day trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, back in mid-May.  After passing through Canadian customs, I entered a totally different country, and the differences I noted between the two countries emphasized what makes the United States so notable, and what I present as a US citizen going abroad.  While I mostly blended in during my time in Vancouver, there was at least one instance in particular when I made my citizenship known.  When asked to present ID to get an internet use pass at the Vancouver Public Library, I decided to use my passport rather than my driver's license because the passport was in a pocket that made it more readily available.  So all of my identity as a US citizen and the images of the United States were on display.

Crossing back into the United States, and in the process of going through US customs, I gained a sense of what it means to be an American by seeing how the US seeks to secure its borders and preserve a sense of security, based on the verbiage on the customs form.

That day trip I took to Vancouver was just one part of the extensive traveling I did throughout the month of May, in addition to other long-distance trips I've taken in the past year.  I literally traveled from coast to coast, with my time in Oregon giving me my first opportunity to visit the Pacific Ocean.  It is often spoken in song, verse, and prose about how this country stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and I was able to take stock of the vast breadth of the country by visiting places on both oceans and passing through the country in between.

My friend Roy got this picture of me at the top of Salal Hill at the Yaquina Head Oustanding Natural Area on the Pacific coast near Newport, OR

One of the reasons I enjoy train travel so much is that it allows me to go at a different pace and actually soak in the country I'm passing through.  With my travels over the course of the past year, I was able to experience places I had been to before but had little memory of.  I say this especially about Florida, having no conscious memories of my first visit there.  Riding the train through Florida to Okeechobee, where I disembarked and met my friend, was a great chance to gain a sense of the character of Florida: its land, cities, geography, and culture, which I certainly experienced lots more of during the rest of my time in Florida.  Visiting St. Augustine was a great opportunity to see the European influences that are part of the US experience from centuries past.

As for the Pacific Northwest, I passed through it on the Amtrak Empire Builder 20 years ago when my family went on a summer vacation, riding the rails in a great loop around the western United States, but I really didn't remember too much.  Going there this past May was a great chance to soak in the beauty of the land, with vast forests, lofty mountains, scenic rivers, and lush vegetation (including an abundance of vibrantly-colored flowers), which all made for scenic views.  (Check back later for link access in the comments section below where you can read more about my trip to the Pacific Northwest.)

I experienced great mountain scenery in Colorado when I went there last summer, at Rocky Mountain National Park and Cripple Creek, as well as the foothills where Denver is located.  The train ride there and back was also a chance to reconnect with that great long train trip 20 years ago.

I also was able to experience more of South Carolina by going to North Charleston and then heading to North Myrtle Beach.  Coming back from there, like coming back from Florida, gave me the chance to ride the Cardinal train, which took me through the scenic New River Gorge in West Virginia, a hallmark of that state's natural beauty.

Indeed, going by train is a great way to experience the United States like no other mode of travel can provide.  Riding Amtrak stirs in me a sense of love for my country and pride in being a US citizen because it brings me into closer contact with the land and its character.  I am reminded once again that God has graced this land with such immense beauty in natural scenery and in the diverse people who call it home.

I got this picture onboard Amtrak train 51, the westbound Cardinal, preparing to depart Indianapolis.
Indiana marked 200 years as a state on December 11, 2016.

I got this picture of the Chicago skyline from Amtrak train 6, the eastbound California Zephyr, right before we arrived at Chicago Union Station, marking the end of my Colorado trip last summer.

I got this picture of Amtrak train 6 backing into Denver Union Station, before boarding to head back to Chicago, on my Colorado trip last summer.

A fellow passenger got this picture of me during an extended stop at Whitefish, MT, during my ride of Amtrak train 7, the westbound Empire Builder, reminiscent of a similar journey I took 20 years ago.

And my train itinerary on both trips to the Southeast provided me some time to visit sites in Washington, D.C., a magnificent city that speaks immensely to the US identity, with government buildings, grand edifices like the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, monuments, and other places like Frederick Douglass's home, not to mention important documents like the Declaration of Independence, on display at the National Archives.  And I brushed up against the ceremonial pomp of government being there just before the 2017 Presidential Inauguration.  Indeed, there is definitely so much in Washington, DC, that speaks to the character of the United States.

During my travels in May, I made it my business to visit Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.  I booked myself on the last tour of the day, and when my group arrived at Fort Sumter, we were there in time for the flag-lowering ceremony.  The ranger explained how the flag is lowered and folded up, and then encouraged people in the group to assist.  Before starting, he asked us to pause in silence as we remembered the loss of life that took place at Fort Sumter in years bygone.

The US flag is being lowered at Fort Sumter.

The flag is being folded into a triangle, which is in honor of the Patriots who fought for the United States in the American Revolution, who wore hats in the shape of a triangle.

It was so incredible to be there for that experience, to give honor to the flag for what it represents, a country dedicated to the principles of liberty, and to also honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice of life, regardless of their differences in views, knowing that in the end, we are Americans all.  In participating in such gestures there, I realized that being a US citizen is about honoring something higher than ourselves.  We honor those who came before us, and the contributions people made to make this country great, knowing we are part of what this nation is about because we shape it as they did.

May this occasion of Independence Day give us further impetus to ponder our country's identity, and our own in relation to it, as we take stock of its land, people, history, and culture.  Knowing all this it is about, may we honor our country, and take our part in shaping it for the better and so that it may conform to the highest ideals of freedom and liberty for all, the great gifts of God Almighty, as we give thanks that in Him we are truly free.

God Bless the United States of America.

I salute the Spirit of God and the Spirit of the United States,
Paul

P.S. This is my annual Patriotic Greetings note, now in its fourth year in digital form.  If you would like me to send you a hard copy, please feel free to let me know.

Like with any of my blog posts, please feel free to share this Patriotic Greetings note.

And you can check out my Patriotic Greetings notes from other years: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016