Introducing 1787 National Committee, America's new political party. (www.1787forAmerica.org)

Democracy is not always easy. It’s not always easy to live in what is – by far – the most diverse country on the planet. It’s not always easy to navigate a place that has over 340 million people of multiple races, ethnicities and religions. It’s not always easy to live in a place where many people have opposite political views. But yet we do it. And most of the time we do it amazingly well.

The USA is not a flimsy, fragile country, and Americans are far from wimps. We come from a long line of survivors who have overcome unfathomable atrocities, from the horror of slavery to brothers fighting brothers in the Civil War. Our remarkably resilient country endured two hellish World Wars, one very hot war in Asia, one very Cold one in Eastern Europe, and a traumatizing terrorist attack. America survived our black citizens being terrorized by police dogs, firebombed buses and burning crosses, and the sickening murders of Kennedys and King. We conquered American Indians and female, Asian and black Americans not being able to vote, and overcame a devastating depression, a monster financial crisis, a debilitating pandemic, and being deceived about Vietnam, Watergate, Iran-Contra, and WMDs. We were the first to stand for the right of revolution and consent of the governed. We are people who celebrate life, liberty and justice for all. We are people who perfected the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion.

…. and never forget what compassionate, supportive Americans have achieved around the world. We are the people who liberated concentration camps and enacted the Marshall Plan, enabling Europe to rebuild after years of devastating war. Our security and support have provided countries the opportunity to foster democratic governments and strong economies. With our support, South Korea evolved from a poor, vulnerable autocracy to a vibrant, healthy democracy – as did Japan. We helped China integrate into the global economy, alleviating severe poverty for billions. We greatly advanced human rights, created the United Nations, prevented a global nuclear war, and stopped communism in its tracks. We steadfastly fought HIV in developing countries, providing millions of people antiviral drugs and preventing hundreds of thousands of precious babies from being infected with HIV at birth.

This is who we are, America. We are the United States of America, and we are wonderful people! But the best thing we do as Americans – even when things look messy and at times unsalvageable – is grow and get better. Okay, so maybe at times it’s more like two steps forward, one step backward, BUT WE ALWAYS GET BETTER.

Are we there yet? Of course not. But it’s not about the finish line. It’s about the rocky, often sloppy journey. Regardless of who is in the Oval Office or in the seats of Congress, Americans will prevail – not because of our leaders, but despite them. For those of you who feel like things have gone completely off the rails, never forget that most Americans don’t reject reflection – we embrace it. We don’t allow momentary lapses in judgment to derail us – we gain wisdom that makes us even stronger.

The American people are the best! We are optimistic not only for our own future, but also for our capacity to create a brighter tomorrow on a global scale. We are aware of our imperfections and have a deep desire to correct our indiscretions, but remain completely faithful to the belief that the United States is the best place to be. But the absolute greatest privilege of being an American is the freedom we have to continually assess our government, our leaders, and our political and moral direction. Without that privilege, America would be lost. With it, anything is possible.