It’s easy in these days of polarized politics and uncivil discourse to lose sight of what unites these United States, but the Fourth of July, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, is the perfect time to look up from social skirmishes that play out on the internet, TV news and even this Opinion page, and appreciate our nation and the ideals it is founded upon. Here are some reflections on those ideals:
“True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth.” — Eleanor Roosevelt, activist and former first lady
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“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” — Mark Twain, author and humorist
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“Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” — Adlai Stevenson, former vice president
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“It’s important that we establish that we are a country that has open arms and not closed borders for people. It’s important because we let people know why America is what it is. It’s about an ideal, and that ideal is freedom for everybody.” — Oprah Winfrey, TV personality and businesswoman
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“One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation evermore!” — Oliver Wendell Holmes, former Supreme Court justice
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“You can’t separate peace and freedom, because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” — Malcolm X, human rights activist
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“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” — John F. Kennedy, former president
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“The essence of America — that which really unites us — is not ethnicity, or nationality or religion — it is an idea — and what an idea it is: That you can come from humble circumstances and do great things.” — Condoleezza Rice, former secretary of state
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“Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history.” — John McCain, former U.S. senator
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“The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful and virtuous.” — Frederick Douglass, American abolitionist
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“There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.” — Bill Clinton, former president
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“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” — James Baldwin, author
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“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” — Elmer Davis, reporter
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“Change often seems impossible until it is inevitable. Just as we must own our lives, we must own our country. For, we, the people, are ultimately in control of America’s story.” — Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to former President Barack Obama
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“All great change in America begins at the dinner table.” — Ronald Reagan, former president
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“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” — Harry S. Truman, former president
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“Independence is a heady draft, and if you drink it in your youth, it can have the same effect on the brain as young wine does. It does not matter that its taste is not always appealing. It is addictive and with each drink you want more.” — Maya Angelou, poet
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“In the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it.” — Barack Obama, former president
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“May we never forget our fallen comrades. Freedom isn’t free.” — Sgt. Major Bill Paxton, Marine
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“May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to do what is right.” — Peter Marshall, former chaplain of the Senate
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“Life without liberty is like a body without spirit.” — Kahlil Gibran, writer
