Birthdays are great fun before you reach a certain age and then they can become more a time for reflection and introspection.
Questions, some uncomfortable, inevitably force their way into your mind. Am I a good person? Am i living my best life? How much longer do I have? Am I feeling optimistic or pessimistic?
As our great nation nears the milestone 250th birthday I wonder the same things, ask myself the same questions. The country seems divided. People seem angry. Finding common ground and agreement is often seen as an ideal not a reality. It can be discouraging and a drain on my limited supply of optimism.
But then I think of two things. My dad, who passed away a few years ago, was a real patriot and for as long as I can remember, there was a framed painting of John F. Kennedy above his desk with perhaps Kennedy’s most famous quote: “Ask not what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for the country.” Could we all be doing more to help?
Then I also think about James Madison and what he wrote in Federalist No. 10.
“Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive energy.”
So, maybe division and anger aren’t such a bad thing. Maybe factions, disagreements are necessary for democracy to thrive. Still, it may feel like we’re limping toward 250 to some.
Is there a sense or optimism or dread? I’d like to know what you think.
And that brings us to the Question of the Week.
This week’s Question of the Week is:
With the nation poised to mark its 250th birthday this week, are you more or less optimistic about the next 250 years?
You can scan the QR code that is on the print edition page or go to https://www.floridatoday.com/opinions-columns/. Please leave a comment telling us why you voted the way you did. In order for your comment or email to be published on our website and in next week’s print edition, you must include your first and last name and please include your town/city of residence in the body of your comment. You can also shoot me an email with “250” in the subject line. I look forward to reading your responses
And as always, thanks for participating.
Contact Torres at jtorres@floridatoday.com. You can follow him on X @johnalbertorres. Florida video editor Rob Landers contributed to this report.Support local journalism and become a subscriber. Visit floridatoday.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: As America turns 250, are we hopeful or losing faith?
Reporting by John A. Torres, Florida Today / Florida Today
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By John A. Torres, Florida Today | USA TODAY Network
