Where We Can Find Hope

Do you believe democracy is at stake in this election? 

You’re not alone—most Americans believe this too. [1]

Amidst increasing fears of despotism and feelings of dereliction, most Americans are pessimistic about the trajectory of our nation, looking more favorably upon our past than the prospects of our future. [2]  From the border crisis to the shrinking middle class, there are various reasons that such sentiments exist and continue to prevail. Despite the various roots of these feelings, each of us who feels this way shares one thing in common: we’ve lost hope.

Perhaps in its presence we can find our remedy.

The United States is a country that was founded on hope. When minutemen returned fire upon the tyranny of the British Monarch at Bunker Hill, they fired each shot with the hope that one day we would live in a nation that was free. When the Founders at Constitution Hall created a government that is of, by, and for the people, they did so equipped with the hope and faith that a democracy could and would withstand the test of time. When enslaved people snuck along the Underground Railroad through the dark woods of the Confederacy and toward the light of freedom, they did so with the hope that a better life awaited them on the other side. When children took to the streets in Birmingham, Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement and were met with vicious dogs and firehoses, they marched with the hope that one day they shall overcome. The American tradition is one rich with hope… hope that, together, we may live lives that are rooted in freedom, prospered by fairness, and committed to justice.

When we lose our faith in the creed of our country and the prospects of our prosperity, we subjugate ourselves to decline. But it does not have to be this way—there is a practical starting point, a place where each of us may begin to find and inspire hope.

To find and inspire hope, we must each must commit to being driven by and devoted to character. Doing so does not have to be difficult. Rather it is as simple as us embracing Martin Luther King Jr. 's philosophy of “the time is always right to do what is right.” It means that we must commit to doing what is right for ourselves, investing in what is right for our communities, and raising young citizens who hunger to do what is right for our nation.

Being driven by and devoted to character begins with the example we set, the behavior we tolerate, and values we reflect through our actions. So, let’s take a moment to ask ourselves: 

1.  How do we speak about others, especially those who are different from us or have different beliefs? Do we speak of them with respect? 

2.  Are we exemplifying generosity and selflessness? Or do we simply applaud when we see others acting generously and selflessly?

3.  Are we engaged citizens? Are we creating the communities we want and the country our youth deserve?

No one will answer these questions perfectly, but America remaining a more perfect union is contingent upon what each of us are willing to do to improve upon its imperfections. The prospects of America’s prosperity are determined by the hope we individually inspire and can collectively see. Being driven by character is more than an aspiration we should preach. Instead, it is a duty that each of us must fulfill and a civic obligation that every American must commit to if our country shall prevail. 

For when we decide to be character-driven leaders and inspired citizens, perhaps there we may find the hope our nation needs.

 [1] Andrew Daniller, “Americans pessimistic about nation’s future, more positive about past,” Pew Research Center, April 24, 2023, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/04/24/americans-take-a-dim-view-of -the-nations-future-look-more-positively-at-the-past/.

[2] Ali Swenson and Linley Sanders, “AP Poll: Most Americans say democracy is at stake in 2024 election,” AP News, August 8, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-harris-trump-poll-9802e104ad29ff69e9e323ad4624.