America at 250: Can We Still Be One Nation?
It's up to you and me.
Hi friends,
Happy Independence Day!
It’s a great time to reflect on our blessings as individuals and as a country.
And it’s a critical time to refresh our patriotism and remember that freedom must be fought for in every generation.
America at 250: Can We Still Be One Nation?
As America celebrates its 250th birthday, it is worth asking an uncomfortable question:
Are we still the country our Founders created?
Historian Victor Davis Hanson recently reflected on that question, and while some of his conclusions are sobering, they are ultimately hopeful.
When the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor,” they were not signing a symbolic document. They were risking everything.
Had they failed, they would likely have been executed as traitors. Their families would have lost their property, their reputations, and their futures. Yet they signed anyway because they believed liberty was worth that sacrifice. And still had many personal losses.
That spirit of duty helped build a nation unlike any other.
For generations, Americans didn’t simply share a government—they shared a civic culture. Children learned American history, civics, and ethics. They recited the Pledge of Allegiance, sang patriotic songs, studied the Constitution, and were taught that freedom also required responsibility.
People came to America from every corner of the world, bringing their languages, foods, music, and traditions. But there was an understanding that becoming an American meant embracing America’s founding principles: liberty under law, constitutional government, equal justice, and personal responsibility.
Assimilation wasn’t viewed as oppression. It was viewed as becoming part of something larger than oneself.
Today, many Americans believe that this common civic identity has weakened.
Our schools spend little time teaching civics and American history. Patriotism is sometimes viewed with skepticism or disdain instead of gratitude. Immigration laws have frequently gone unenforced, while millions have entered the country without the orderly legal process that maintains a nation’s sovereignty. The debate is no longer simply about how many immigrants America should welcome, but whether newcomers should be expected to fully join the American civic culture.
At the same time, our politics have become increasingly divided—not just over policy, but over fundamental ideas about the role of family, faith, community, individual responsibility, and government itself.
Many Americans now feel that we are becoming two different countries living under one Constitution.
That should concern all of us, regardless of political party.
History teaches that republics survive only when citizens share enough common values to govern themselves peacefully. The Founders understood this. They designed our Constitution to protect liberty, but they also assumed an informed, engaged, and morally responsible citizenry.
The encouraging news is that America has overcome serious crises before.
We survived a Revolution, a Civil War, world wars, economic depression, and periods of deep political division. Each time, Americans eventually rediscovered the principles that united us.
Perhaps that is where hope lies today.
We don’t need despair. We need renewal. Renewal of principles, of duty, of Judeo-Christian values.
Renewal begins in our homes by teaching our children American history. It continues in our communities by participating in local government, supporting strong families, volunteering, and standing up for the things that have made America the most desired country in the world.
It also requires enforcing our laws fairly, expecting citizenship to carry both rights and responsibilities, and remembering that freedom cannot survive without civic virtue.
As Winston Churchill famously observed, Americans “can always be trusted to do the right thing... after they have exhausted all the alternatives.”
Let’s hope he’s right once again.
America’s 250th birthday must not simply be a celebration of our past; it must be a rededication to the principles that made this remarkable experiment in self-government possible—and to ensuring that the next 250 years are worthy of the sacrifice made by those who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
One last thought: I always hear we need to preserve America for our children and grandchildren, but I seldom hear the word ‘posterity. That was also a commitment of our forefathers. America is worth saving for the whole world and for all time.
Sources:
Is America Collapsing as It Celebrates 250 Years? Why Victor Davis Hanson Is ‘Very Worried’
The Declaration of Independence (National Archives)
The U.S. Constitution (National Archives)
America250 (Official U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission)
As always, do your own research and make up your own mind.
White paper on land and water rights: Property Rights and Freedom: A White Paper on America’s Disappearing Land (8/13/2025)
United we stand. Divided we fall. We must not let America fall.
VoteTexas.gov, https://www.votetexas.gov/get-involved/index.html
Disclaimer:
As always, do your own research and make up your own mind. This Substack is provided for informational and commentary purposes only. All claims or statements are based on publicly available sources and are presented as analysis and opinion, not legal conclusions.
No assertion is made of unlawful conduct by any individual, company, or government entity unless such claims are supported by formal public records or verified legal documents. The views expressed here reflect my personal perspective on property rights and land use issues.
While I strive for accuracy and transparency, readers are encouraged to verify all details using the official sources and references provided. Any references to third-party material are included solely for your consideration and do not necessarily reflect my views or imply endorsement.
If you share this content, please include this disclaimer to preserve context and clarity for all readers.
Until next time…
Please share your thoughts in the comments. Or email me, and let’s have a problem-solving conversation. I welcome ‘letters to the editor’ type emails and may publish yours. I hope we can create a caucus with positive, back-to-the-founders’-dream-for-America results. Have a topic you want to know more about?
Some housekeeping…
Going forward, you may need to check your spam folder. And please mark this address as ‘not spam.’ If the newsletter isn’t in your spam folder either, you should look in the Promotions tab.
You can always see everything on the website, RationalAmerican.org.
Thanks again for reading! I’m glad you’re here!
ANOTHE GREAT ARTICLE, AS USUAL, ELLEN. MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!