Due to growing geopolitical uncertainty, I find myself reflecting on the origins of this great country and the patriotism shown by our fellow Americans during these challenging times.

While watching the State of the Union address, I was surprised that my friends were dismissive, uninterested, or even hostile during this hallmark event of our republic.  Friends and family of all political flavors are increasingly losing sight of the founding principles of this country, choosing instead to unconstructively proclaim their political alliances.  Their response to the State of the Union address was no exception.

I grew up knowing I came from many generations of early Americans, including some who fought in the American Revolution.  My eleventh great-grandfather, William Bradford, risked his life for freedom by emigrating on the Mayflower in 1620.  My tenth great-grandfather, Richard Garner, came to Virginia in 1636 with his toddler son after his wife was accused of witchcraft and drowned.  My sixth great-grandfather, Major General William Montgomery, who fought in the American Revolution, was a pioneer and abolitionist who served in the U.S. House of Representatives.  My seventh great-grandfather, Colonel Samuel Selden, served under George Washington during the siege of Boston and was captured by the British during the Battle of Kips Bay in 1776 and died in a dank prison.  My personal history is intricately tied to the history of this country.

This great country was forged from the tyranny and oppression of a monarchy, and the founding fathers designed the system of government to give us the freedom to choose our lives without the oppression of individual rule.  The Declaration of Independence specifically outlines what the people of this great nation endured under the rule of Great Britain and why they dissolved their political connection to the monarchy.  In support of the declaration, they were willing to risk everything.

This country was designed to forge its strength from principles far greater and more powerful than any person or political party.  Part of our duty as citizens is to continually strive for this great ideal.  Allegiance should ultimately be to this country and should be unwavering and independent of those elected to office.  I am increasingly witnessing people prioritizing their allegiance to a person or political identity.  More disturbingly, this is not only becoming commonplace, but becoming acceptable.

While my family's American history and heritage run about as deep as any American of European decent could claim, the ideals our forefathers champion as self-evident hold that all citizens, whether from a lineage here for centuries or newly arrived, are equal heirs to the rights and freedoms that define us as Americans.  To forget that — to lose focus to partisanship and personality — is to betray the ideals that founded our nation.  Petty divisions can tear us apart, but the ideals that make our nation great, and to which we are all heirs, are as fresh and vibrant today as when first proffered.  Those ideals define our past and should define our future as well.

Image via Max Pixel.