Nishtha : Imaginative Mellifluous Philosopher

Re: What America IS and What America MEANS

Nishtha said Jan 13, 2007, 11:04 PM:
 

Dear Kira, Nicole et al.,

I was moved today to check back in here and make another contribution from Jacob Needleman's book. At first, I thought that I would begin a new discussion thread but, the more I looked at this topic, and reflected upon the responses that the two of you have already posted, I feel confident that this excerpt belongs here….

“The Guardian at the Door
Man's life is what it is because man is what he is. The American plan of government was based on that truth. Man is corrupt and needs a specific kind of government in order to restrain his corruption - yes. But man also has within him Reason (or God) and needs a specific form of government in order to allow the kind of seeking that can open the individual and his or her community to the experience and the action of that Reason, that God, that Good.

The inspired form of the Constitution and the institutions of the American government may sometimes tempt us to imagine that the Founders believed, or should have believed, that it is external laws and principles of legal process that can improve human life and keep it safe. Nothing could be further from the truth. They understood, implicitly through the philosophy or religion they adhered to, and many times surely explicitly, that it is through the perfection of the self that human life on earth can become what it is meant to become. Government was there to protect that process, to allow that process; government was there to stand guard at the door to the room where men and women actually seek, rather than just speak about, truth, justice and the common good.”

These words resonant so strongly with me…..Jacob Needleman's take on ”What America MEANS” reminds me of why I feel such a strong sense of pride when I think of myself as an American….It's the actions of my leaders in this day and age that cause me to feel ambivalence about this aspect of my identity; the decisions and actions made in my name, or using my tax dollars, are what create this heart-rending sadness and shame when I admit my citizenship.

And I don't want to feel this sadness and this shame. I want to take back my country. I want America to be a leader in the world….A leader for peace, a leader for hope, a leader for freedom, and a leader for prosperity….of mind, of spirit, and of body…..This is what my dreams are made of….