Like so many others, I was blown away by the beautiful words of Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman at the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. There were so many incredible lines, but the one I keep thinking of is this:
Because being American is more than a pride we inherit;
it’s the past we step into and how we repair it.
I love the challenge of that line, its call to action. Being a patriot is not chest-thumping and performative. It is not a birthright, something we inherit and enjoy without requirement. It is a responsibility.
First, it requires acknowledgement of the past, including the painful parts. As a friend said, “If you punch me in the face and then stop punching me, we can’t just say, ‘It’s time for healing. You need to stop talking about that punch.’ I need to understand what happened. I need an apology. And if I don’t get it, I don’t trust you and I don’t trust the system that didn’t hold you to account.” We have to acknowledge our history, which means first, we must understand it. How did we get to this place? What are the million actions and inactions that led to where we are? And then we must take responsibility for what we did wrong, where we faltered in upholding our values. This cannot be arms’ length and cerebral. This is OUR history. The history of this nation is in our blood and our bones, in our minds and our speech. We have to be clear-eyed and willing to acknowledge our own personal actions, too.
And then it requires action. What are we doing to repair America? We see its faults. Sometimes, they are absolutely overwhelming. Cory Booker once said, “If America hasn’t broken your heart, you don’t love her enough.” I have spoken to so many people this year who have contemplated leaving, who are looking for an escape route to some other, less broken country. For me, being American means not giving up on it. It means finding the parts that pain you the most and taking steps to fix them. Whatever your most painful place is–the environment, racial justice, democracy, health care, education, women’s rights–lean into it. Take action. That is how we repair this nation. That is what patriotism is.