American Glory

 

The American story, the fight for freedom using courage, against fear, looking with hope. We value the pride in our nation, and exercise it so when voting. The Presidential election causes the most participation of the people, as we choose who will represent our future and America itself. We vote for who we align with, who we think would make a better President, and/or who tells our own story of America. 

In How to Win an Election, Mark McKinnon, a political strategist, reform advocate, and political advisor,  who was an advisor to both George W. Bush and John McCain describes what makes a successful campaign using his own experiences and knowledge. Americans can better connect to a campaign when it tells a story and has a powerful message, causing the candidate who does this best to typically win election. 

When something speaks to us, we are more likely to connect to it and agree with it. Political candidates use this strategy to their advantage in order to gain support, and ideally win their election. We see candidates try to compare themselves to everyday people, bring up the same stories time after time of their interaction with a supporter, and use the same hard-hitting facts and plans that resonate with most. But, as many note, this connection seems to disappear as soon as they are elected, leaving those they advocated for without the change they promised.  

Paying attention to what's happening around us and developing our own idea of what is right gives us a better sense of our own voice. Our voices are one of the most powerful forces in the world, and when we use them to fight for what we believe in, justice can prevail. 

When activism becomes widespread, change occurs. But, where that happens is all too often focused on places we deem in need of saving. In An African's Message for America: Help Yourself!, Boniface Mwangi, a Kenyan activist, photojournalist, and politician describes the need for American activists to focus on activism locally rather than internationally through interviewing activists and explaining the global struggle of people. In America, we glorify the travel to help countries we claim to be "underdeveloped" or "third-world", but we tend to move on after our own activism occurs. 

It seems to stem from the concept of American superiority, with roots in colonization and imperialism that has increased the belief that we are the best nation to live in. This is not to put down any programs that do work to help those in need internationally, but it rather comes back to that idea of connection. When we connect with something, we are more likely to follow-through. There is no connection between an American activist and the country they may travel to help with, they simply leave and move on. 

The issues at home have been everlasting, the voices of the local activists have been screaming out. How can we be a savior to others when we can't even save ourselves? We tell this American story in order to reinforce superiority, in order to win an election, but we refuse to adhere to the glory that is not present, to implement just change.