Alright folks, I’m gonna ruffle some feathers, but it’s something that I feel has to be said.
We are not the same country anymore.
Not even close.
The division in this nation is so deep I don’t even know if it can be mended.
There are people who love this country, flaws and all. People who pray for it. Work for it. Hope for it.
And then there are people who want to burn it all down.
To them, the American flag is offensive. Patriotism is cringe. Saying USA is toxic.
Our men’s hockey team just won gold for the first time in 46 years.
Forty six years.
That’s 1980. Three years before I was born.
Let that sink in.
And if you watched that celebration on the ice, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
When they honored Johnny Gaudreau, carried his No. 13 jersey, and brought his kids out onto that ice after losing him and his brother Matthew last year, that hit me.
That brought me to tears.
That was bigger than politics. Bigger than parties. Bigger than opinions.
That was America.
And instead of celebrating, some people are more upset about a guy and a beer than they are happy about America winning gold. Or they are triggered by USA chants and American flags.
Think about that.
A team represents our country on the world stage and wins gold, and the outrage is about who was standing next to them.
That’s where we are.
Some of the loudest voices in this country cannot even pause long enough to bask in a victory for America without turning it into a political tantrum.
It’s exhausting.
It’s sad.
It makes me think about 9/11.
I was 18 years old.
I remember the fear. The heartbreak. The confusion.
But more than anything, I remember the unity.
Nobody asked who you voted for. Nobody cared what party you belonged to. We were Americans.
People held doors open. Traffic became courteous. Road rage disappeared. Strangers nodded at each other like we all understood something sacred.
We were on the same side.
I’ve seen what this country looks like when we remember who we are.
We’ve lost that.
And I don’t know how we get it back.
I’ll be honest. I’ve felt hate at times toward the people I’m talking about.
But lately, that feeling has turned into sadness.
Because imagine living every day so angry at your own country that you cannot even celebrate a gold medal without finding something to rage about.
That’s not freedom.
That’s misery.
I’m proud of our country. I’m proud to be an American. And I’m proud to be a Christian, learning every single day how to walk closer in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who loved even His enemies.
That win was a happy moment.
It is okay to celebrate America.
I’m not apologizing for it.
USA 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 🙏🏻
Dear @Wawa
Please keep the blueberry cobbler coffee all year long, if you don’t, I will find a bridge of medium height, preferably over a body of water, and jump!
Thank you in advance!