AMERICA REALLY IS EXCEPTIONAL – JUST ASK AN IMMIGRANT

President Ronald Reagan spoke of America as a “shining city on a hill.”  When the 40th President spoke those words, most famously in his 1989 farewell, he wasn’t the first on this continent to do so.  He echoed the words from Puritan preacher and early Massachusetts leader John Winthrop.  President Kennedy would also take a page from the Puritan leader.  In 1630, Winthrop preached a sermon in which he exclaimed, “For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.”  In so doing, Winthrop echoed the King of Kings Himself.  Matthew 5 records Christ’s Sermon On The Mount where the Lord first speaks of a “city on a hill.” 

 

This phrase is often connected with American Exceptionalism, the idea that America is unique among nations.  Unfortunately, this idea has been cast in a negative light in recent years.  Marxists among us today criticize and attack American Exceptionalism.  They now call themselves “Democratic Socialists” and want to completely unravel the fabric of our nation. They seek to demolish our foundation to build something new and completely foreign to our Founding ideals.  They push an idea that American Exceptionalism is about arrogance.  They tell us that those who subscribe to this notion believe no other nations have value.  Nothing could be further from the truth. 

 

As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, it is high time we stop and ponder just how exceptional America is.  Let’s start with a fact that is often said in conversation.  If we weren’t the place to be then why is everyone trying to get in and few are trying to leave.  Recent descendants of immigrants know this very well.  I would know, because I am the grandson of such an immigrant.  Wasyl Iwanyszyn left Ukraine in the 1940s, seeking an opportunity for a better life, just like many millions before and after him.  His family had been financially comfortable from agricultural means before the Bolshevik Revolution brought Communism to power.  Their private property, the source of their wealth, was confiscated by those in power.  Unfortunately, this has happened for many millions of people over the years.  He became stuck in Nazi Germany for a while as he made his way toward his dream of coming to America for opportunity.  There, he witnessed more destruction to another nation from socialist ideology.  America would go on to face Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, and we have triumphed over both. 

 

My grandfather finally made it through Ellis Island after World War II.  He always appreciated our opportunities and liberties of faith, speech and work.  With my grandmother from New York City, he would raise eight children, including my Dad.  Through the story of my grandparents and the principles they taught my Dad and his siblings, my family has witnessed how special our nation is and the importance of defending what we have. 

 

In America, we have the great blessing of worshipping the Creator by dictates of our conscience without fear of government interference.  We have the great blessing of peaceably assembling and speaking freely.  We are a nation of builders and inventors.  We have produced so many rags-to-riches stories.  Many of them are household names, such as John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Col. Harland Sanders, Hank Aaron, Elvis Presley, Andrew Jackson and even Oprah Winfrey.  We are the nation where 5-year-old James Cash Penney learned his preacher father could no longer afford to buy his shoes.  The boy was in tears because his shoes had holes in them.  He would create the massive retail chain that bears his name.  America is where so many medical advances have been created that have squashed diseases that once were a death sentence.  America is where young Jensen Huang would come with his family.  With our free enterprise economy and the ideas from him and his associates, they would create Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company with a market value exceeding $5 trillion at this writing.  In fact, most of the most valuable companies are American companies.  America is where Thomas Edison was allowed to fail over 1,000 times before succeeding in creating the light bulb.  The very invention that has illuminated our cities very fittingly demonstrates our nation’s spirit of liberty and determination that makes us the city on a hill.

 

Elections are coming up.  It is up to us to ensure we put people to work for us who will preserve our exceptional character and moral fabric.  Keep the light burning bright for faith, family, opportunity and liberty!