Are We “Citizens” or “Subjects”?
We face the core challenge of our time - Will we carry American Greatness forward or give up and let the American experiment die?
The American experiment in democracy is at a crossroads and it won’t survive being ordinary. The purpose of this website is simple: to challenge – and support – a critical mass of Americans to step up and live out the best of what this country stands for.
This is not about Republicans and Democrats.
Nor is it about liberals and conservatives. They are all essential parts of the experiment, each has their part to play, and the dynamic tension between them is what America healthy and creative and keeps the authoritarian threat at bay.
This is not about slogans or nostalgia.
It is about a critical mass of Americans playing their roles in honoring our heritage and modeling “American Greatness” to support the endangered American experiment in democracy.
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
It’s about being citizens, not subjects and acting from our “larger selves.”
It is about acting from our best and acting even if we are busy and tired and unsure of what actions to take. It is about calling on our courage, perseverance, and resilience (our larger selves) vs. retreating in the face of our fears, anxieties, uncertainties or apathy (our smaller selves).
We have a clear challenge before us now if we choose to be citizens and act from our larger selves. That challenge is to (a) protect and improve our democratic processes and institutions as well as (b) to take on the big tough complex, and intimidating challenges we currently face in our world.
Our democracy is not meeting the needs of too many Americans and needs to improve significantly. And the big tough issues we face in our world, from climate change to housing, are intimidating.
Fortunately, we have two foundation blocks on which to stand – our founding and the 250-year trajectory since our founding – on which to stand to take on the issues our current generations face. Neither foundation block is without its faults, but both are extraordinary, and they provide a solid foundation to support us in acting now.
The truth is – our democracy won’t survive if we’re just going through the motions. We can’t just ride on our history and the sacrifices of our predecessors. We can’t be passive. We have to take active ownership – not only of our freedoms, but also of the responsibilities that come with them.
We Step Up as “Citizens”
or
We Get Stepped on as “Subjects”
Any democracy demands a lot and is naturally flawed and often frustrating – but it is creative. A democracy requires a lot of its citizens. It requires that we find a way to transcend our natural differences and come together to govern ourselves – a surprisingly difficult and complex task. That, by definition, is never an easy smooth task, but it supports a high level of creativity and opens the door to opportunity – in its healthy state.
We have to earn the right to govern ourselves in every generation. We take responsibility for ourselves as citizens – and we support each other. We step up whether we feel like it or not. We act even when we don’t feel ready.
We either step up as citizens or we get stepped on as subjects. We either honor and model the American Greatness we have inherited – or we choose to be the generations that gave up and retreated back into authoritarian rule.
And giving up and being subjects is a seductive trap because of the classic authoritarian promise to “take care of” or “save” us – particularly if we are feeling small, powerless, or victimized. That promise obscures the reality that authoritarians always end up controlling, disempowering, and feeding upon their “subjects.”
Sometimes we can coast. Other times, we’ve got to rise. This is a rising moment.
There are moments in history that demand more – more courage, more unity, more action, more perseverance. This is one of those moments. The American experiment in democracy has required “greatness” from time to time.
Our democracy has been resilient and there are times when we, as citizens can sit back and enjoy our form of government without having to actively and intentionally support it. There are other times when we have to step up, call on our best, and act forcefully and relentlessly – together. This is one of those times.
The choice is clear. We can be ordinary subjects or extraordinary citizens.
We were extraordinary citizens at our founding and have been extraordinary citizens at many points in our 250-year trajectory since our founding. We are now being called to be extraordinary citizens to meet our current challenges. The American experiment in democracy requires that we step up and accept the challenge.