In contemporary American politics, the concept that we’re all Americans first, and political party second, has waned in recent decades. But according to author and diplomat Richard Haass, that idea is more important than ever as we take on internal and external threats to our democracy. He writes in his book, The Bill of Obligations: Ten Habits of Good Citizens:
“I speak of the obligation to put the country and American democracy before party and person. This obligation is a thread that helps bind the fabric of this society and is an essential element of patriotism. Putting democracy and the country founded on it first is the only way to preserve and, better yet, improve a United States of America that for any and all of its shortcomings and flaws is still the most successful political experiment in human history and the one with the greatest potential.
“As he did so often, Abraham Lincoln said it best: ‘We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth.’”
The good news is, highlighted throughout our series, A Citizen’s Guide to Preserving Democracy, there are many people and organizations in this country working to bring folks together from different backgrounds and show that more divides us than unites us. + More Perfect Union (MPU) is a non-profit civic organization founded and run by U.S. veterans and community leaders who believe in selfless service. Many veterans involved in the organization say it feels good to carry the commitment to country they learned in the military back home.
“When I was overseas fighting extremism to help protect this country, to help protect the idea of America, I never imagined that I would come home and realize that actually, the greatest threat to our democracy is not ISIS or Al Qaeda, it’s extremism here in the United States. It’s extremism in our politics that is causing us to hate and fear one another,” says Jake Harriman, veteran and founder of MPU.
Veterans have a unique ability to go into American communities and bring folks together, in a way that sometimes others can’t, Harriman says. He founded MPU to help remind his fellow citizens that, at the end of the day, we’re all people trying to make our country a better place. Through leading initiatives in civic education and engagement, volunteerism like Habitat for Humanity, to simple potlucks and organizing meals together, MPU strives to remind friends, neighbors, and even political opposites to put country first.
