On that note, as I’m reading through America by Heart : Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag
Today I am reading about American Exceptionalism. Here are some goodies from the chapter.
“You’ve probably heard a term being used by those who belive America is a special nation with a special role in the world: American exceptionalism. It may sound kind of cocky and arrogant to some people. But what do we mean when we say America is an exception country? We’re not saying we’re better than anyone else, or that we have the right to tell people in other countries how to live their lives. When we say America is exceptional we’re saying we are the lucky heirs to a unique set of beliefs and national qualites, and that we need to preserve and value those beliefs. We’re saying America is a model to the world, not a bully to the world, or responsible for the world.”
“The knee-jerk tendency on the part of some to run down America and accuse her fans of being mindless hillbillies is getting old. On the other hand, I’m not interested in closing my eyes to our country’s problems. There has to be a middle ground, a way of talking about America that shows we are proud of her greatness but not blind to her flaws.”
She goes on to quote the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville’s explanation and observation of America’s exceptionalism. “The position of the Americans…quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will ever be placed in a similar one.”
And also quoted sociologist Charles Murray explanation of how other countries know there is something different about us over here. “American exceptionalism is not just something that Americans claim for themselves. Historically, Americans have been different as apeople, even peculiar, and everyone around the world have recognized it.”
Lastly, Palin goes onto remember that “…humility is a virtue, we recognize and value what makes America unique, but that doesn’t give us an excuse to be boastful. Neither, though, does it demand that we owe the world an apology for our succes and our leadership.” She drives this point home for me with an analogy to a scene from The Incredibles that I, coincidentally, also had thought of when I watched it.
“Dash, the son in the superhero family, who is a super-fast runner, wants to try out for the track team at school. His mom claims it won’t be fair. ‘Dad always said our powers were nothing to be ashamed of. Our powers made us special!’ Dash objects. When his mom answers with the politically correct rejoinder ‘Everyone is special, Dash!’ Dash mutters, ‘Which is another way of saying no one is.’”
