Bradley Project 2008-Bradley Project On America_s National ...

14 I The Bradley Project on america’s National identity I e pluribus unumprayer, and belief in God and an afterlife.More than Europeans, Americans connectmorality to religion. Out of their religiouscommitment, they give billions of dollarsto their churches, money that supportsbuildings, but also a staggering array ofsocial services spread across the globe.In Gallup polls conducted in thirtycountries, Americans emerged as themost optimistic. In America Against theWorld, Andrew Kohut and Bruce Stokeswrite, “Americans are more optimisticand happier than most people….” 16 And inAmerican: Beyond Our Grandest Notions,Chris Matthews observes, “We are bothreluctant warriors and people of action.We lionize heroic losers and champion theunderdog. Through it all, we remain themost optimistic people on the planet.” 17Americans fly their flag more often andcelebrate more national holidays thancitizens of other nations. In the Harrissurvey, 94 percent of the respondents saidthey were proud to be an American.The American creed puts forth loftyideals and at the same time calls for ongoingamendment of America’s weaknesses,a powerful corrective for the mistakesof history, a beacon for a better future.American history abounds with correctiveexamples. Elizabeth Cady Stanton quotedfrom the Declaration of Independenceto secure women’s rights. Prisoners inJapanese-American internment campscited America’s founding ideals whenthey requested an apology and compensationfrom the United States Government.When Martin Luther King Jr. campaignedfor civil rights, he turned to the words ofThomas Jefferson, who owned slaves butwrote: “All men are created equal.” Civilrights leader Roger Wilkins notes thatdespite our shortcomings,… there is also something incrediblyright here. This isn’t the country that Washingtonand Adams and Jefferson and Madisonand Hamilton and Franklin founded.It is not the country of Lincoln, of TeddyRoosevelt, or even FDR. It is so much better.And it is largely because of the civic idealismand the structure of national ideals .… 18In short, being an American involvesan ethos as well as ideas, a way of life as