4th OF JULY: REFLECTION ON FREEDOM & AMERICA
BY SHANNON ROBINSON
Hard times create strong men.
Strong men create good times.
Good times create weak men.
Weak men create hard times.
My mother often likes to quote G. Michael Hopf’s timeless words from his novel Those Who Remain, especially when we’re arguing about politics or history. I can’t argue against this ironclad stanza, however. Now, reflecting on our nation, heroically defended by the blood and bodies of centuries of Americans before me, this cyclical prophecy reminds me of the grit on which America is built.
It’s so easy to take freedom for granted. With the American flag so commercialized and replicated, with major historical events dumbed down and supplanted into cartoons—it’s easy for civilians to forget that 245 years ago, brave men visualized a different future for themselves. Our founding fathers created a new world out of hard times. They were the strong men that built our nation. They were the strong men that took an idea and gave us the fruits from which all Americans still reap today. Their visions echo in the footsteps of every strong man and woman who continues to fight for freedom and American values.
Growing up and teaching overseas, I’ve often been laughed at or misunderstood for my American ideologies. My favorite response comes when my advice to someone has been “Well, why don’t you just do it?” or “Why don’t you just ask them?” My friends and students usually chuckled and said “that is a very American way of thinking.”
And they’re right! It is a very American way of thinking. The thought that I can ask questions, plough my own path, and challenge anyone else’s idea with my own is innate in my mind. Without hesitation, I believe I can accomplish what I set my mind to. And that is simply because I am American. I grew up with freedom and the belief that if you work hard, you can accomplish anything. This ideology is unique to our country and a fundamental part of our identity many people take for granted.
Our nation shifts and changes, sure, but surging through its core, the American identity holds us together. Whether it be good or hard times, Americans always find a way. Whether we’re defending our rights and honor, or we’re making the good times better, Americans innovate, persist, and create.
So, this summer, as we remember our forefathers and the roots from which our nation grew, let’s fly our flags high, let’s open another beer, and let us be those that say “hard times be damned. We are strong men for we are Americans.”