Thoughts about the American IdeaAs Janet Napolitano wrote in a 2007 article in Atlantic Magazine, “the American Idea evokes the concept of frontier, from the physical challenges confronted by the Native Americans to the fear of the unknown experienced by those who first crossed the Atlantic, the Appalachians, the Great Plains, and the Rockies to arrive one day at the shores of the Pacific.” The American Idea that created the United States of America began with The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution. Both of these founding documents, as imperfect as they are, set our nation off on an uncharted journey. For the first time in world history, a nation, bound to a constitution, was born that promoted government by the people and rule of law. The Bill of Rights implied that nation building must have a compassionate moral compass to guide its development. This new idea of a compassionate government launched what we call, even today, the American Experiment. Prior to The Declaration of Independence, all nations were led by authoritarian monarchs, and national boarders were set by military conquest. The American Experiment gave rise to the transformative idea that governments attain their power by gaining consent from the people they govern. This idea of democracy spread across the Americas, Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia. People revolted against strongmen and took the reigns of power. And, while wars and atrocities ensued, the forces of democracy and compassion played a powerful role in the struggles to improve the human condition. There is still much work to be done. The direction setting of the American experiment pointed us toward freedom and opportunity for all people. The American idea of values based government is fragile; it takes enormous courage and energy of the people to sustain it. It is always under threat by authoritarians who seek wealth and power. Equality, liberty, freedom of the press, government by the people, freedom of speech, and freedom to worship (or not) without government interference are some of the foundational ideas that emanated from the direction set by America’s founding documents. For 250 years we have been on a journey to form a more perfect union in this land of abundance. We welcomed immigrants, and we established a constitutional democracy, abolished slavery, expanded the right to vote, and strived to create a world where all people have an opportunity to self-actualize their dreams through education and hard work. While the impact of this American experiment reverberated around the world, the struggle for compassionate government continues on the streets of America and around the world. Our work is not done. We believe that Compassion, which implies action, is the bulwark against the tides of authoritarianism… Compassion Forward’s Community Conversations are bricks in the wall that help protect us from authoritarian rule.
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