USA still the land of opportunity
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“We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” – spoken by Benjamin Franklin before signing the Declaration of Independence, though likely not originated by him
My family has had quite a month.
On the first day of June, my wife, daughter and I departed on our biggest family journey so far as we spent a week in Arizona.
Highlights included my daughter’s first airplane flight; a Major League Baseball game where we got to watch generational talent Shohei Ohtani; a ride in a Waymo (the driverless taxi vehicles); some spectacular views of the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon; a hike up Sedona’s Cathedral Rock – which we were proud to survive; and many wonderful examples of Native American art.
The day following our return to Alabama we were able to see our second generational athlete in eight days – Argentinian soccer megastar Lionel Messi who, to everyone’s delight, scored a goal when Argentina took on Iceland in Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium.
For one day sweet Auburn looked more like Buenos Aires than the Loveliest Village on the Plains.
We also celebrated two birthdays and our wedding anniversary, attended a luau at Callaway Gardens complete with Polynesian dancers and a fire eater, and a shared a meal with a wonderful west African family we have gotten to know in the past year.
The close of June does not end our adventure, though. By the time you read this, we should be in the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains with one side of the family, which will be followed by a few days of sun, surf and seafood on the Gulf Coast with the other side of the family.
I tell you all this not to be boastful. The last few weeks have been far removed from a typical “day in the life” for us. We just happened to have a confluence of opportunities come together this summer.
I am sharing this because I was thinking about what to say about our country as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of declaring our existence to the world.
The United States is certainly in a much better place than it was in 1776 when we were only beginning a long slog of a revolutionary war that bitterly divided many communities and families.
The world of 1776 was also very different than today with governments led by monarchies, the absence of electricity and indoor plumbing, and long-distance transportation relying on ships or horses.
There is no way the American founders could have envisioned our fledgling group of former colonies developing into a country with this much prosperity. Numerous countries and empires have come and gone since without coming close to the affluence and comfort we Americans now enjoy.
The authors of the Declaration were more likely to be signing their death warrants for treason against Great Britain, and they undoubtedly knew this.
Despite the risk, their commitment to their ideals and their dogged determination to see it through created this country where I – as a person without great wealth, elevated social standing, unique talent or exceptional brilliance – can live out these enriching experiences.
This stands in conflict with what we hear from the loudest voices on both sides of the political aisle. They try to convince us we live in a terrible world that only their philosophies can improve.
The left says we are being pushed down and exploited by a ruling class while the right says the lazy and undeserving are taking away everything we have worked hard to earn.
Both sides exaggerate their arguments to get you to react with emotion rather than to think with clarity. In contrast, the best solutions for improving American society have always come from compromise rather than one side crushing its opposition, even during eras of one-party dominance.
I have talked about the differences between 1776 and 2026, but there is one huge similarity I should mention. Both then and now, America represents the land of opportunity.
These opportunities can be economic, political, creative, spiritual, educational or any other categorical concept of which you can think.
In this 250th American summer, I am grabbing my opportunities to create some joyful experiences. I hope you do, too, even if taking in the sublime landscape of the world’s biggest ditch is not feasible right now.
Countless opportunities to find joy in the United States of America are available in ways that the founders could have never conceived back in 1776. Do not let political leaders convince you that scary political schemes are keeping you from those opportunities.
What a great country! Cheers to 250 more anniversaries.
Brandon Fincher is an academic journal editor at Auburn University. He lives in Opelika with his wife, daughter and two Labrador retrievers. You can find his writing at brandonfincher.com.
