I'm going to write about a post of my friend Mike's- a clip from The Newsroom (an upcoming tv series written by Aaron Sorkin, writer of The West Wing). It's about American Exceptionalism.
What does it mean to be "exceptional?"
By definition, it means to be unlike others. And American Exceptionalism is typically connoted with America's supposed state of being not only "unlike," but also better than other nations. The idea stems from America's history as an immensely successful experiment: America emerged into nationhood through a revolution that had very minute odds of success. And following that revolution, men of exceptional valour, virtue, and courage fought off of the battlefield for a system of government that had no historical evidence of success.
The exceptional founding did not end with the ratification of the American Constitution, but rather with General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox- with the eventual passing of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, extending Constitutional and Lockean essential human rights to all humans.
We live in a nation built upon virtue, built upon courage, and built upon the essentail belief that all men are created equal, and that all men have equal rights to life, liberty and property.
Our founding, our history- our foundation. They are exceptional.
Today, I'm not sure that a majority of my friends know the words to the national anthem. Not sure that a majority of them will educate themselves at all before they vote- or that a majority of them will even vote. Not sure that Election Day will mean more than Black Friday; not sure that the Fourth of July will mean more than beer and barbecue. Not sure that names like Lincoln and King mean as much to us as Minaj and Bieber; not sure that we're exceptional at all; not sure that we care.
