America aspires to greatness. That greatness is based upon freedom and liberty, ideals which countless Americans have fought and died for over the years. Brave Americans have been willing to die for these causes since before we knew what kind of country we would have. Lately, we've become rather prolific at killing for our ideals. Dying and killing for ideas is easy. America's greatness is realized when we live up to our ideals.
To be true, the United Stats of America has never even come close to achieving what it is that so many people think we have. That's okay. When you aim for the stars, sometimes you make it to the moon. The problem is that people think we have reached the pinnacle of what we can be. The illusion that America has no progress to make, nothing to learn from the rest of the world, stunts our growth. It hinders our ability to realize the full potential that we have as a nation. It is when you stop trying to move forward that others pass you by.
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
I couldn't say it any better myself.
Happy birthday, America. We've got work to do.
