"The nation has never been unified in demographics, religion, or basic moral principle."?
That is entirely wrong, Jhkim. We have always been a white European majority in demographics, and we have established ourselves as a firm member and champion of Western Civilization. Our religion has also been a vast majority CHRISTIAN. And, we have indeed held onto a body of generally accepted and unifying moral principles. Everyone from George Washington, John Locke, Edmund Burke, Alexis De Toqueville, Lafeyette, Abraham Lincoln, to Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jack Kennedy, to Ronald Reagan and more all stand in contradiction to your belief. Americans have always had a common demographic, a common religion, and unified moral principles. Such commonality and unity has allowed this great nation to prosper and overcome challenges and problems throughout the centuries of our successful and sacred Republic.
There has always been a *majority* -- but always with important differences. In terms of race, the country was 79% white when it was founded, and it's around 72% white today. Are you trying to claim that 79% is "unified" but 72% is "not unified"? That seems like an overly convenient dividing line. You'll pardon me as not thinking that being unified white is one of the things that makes this country great.
In terms of religion, the country has always been majority Christian -- but ranging from Puritans to Quakers to Catholics to Deists -- and different Christian sects are anything but unified. It's precisely because fighting between different Christians was so intense, that one of the founding principles of the country was Freedom of Religion, and the separation of Church and State. Religious differences are something this country has embraced since the start.
In terms of morals, you can list out who you think of as your favorite moral leaders. But again, the country has included a wider range than the few you name. We have had many diametrically opposed figures in history -- like Andrew Jackson and Geronimo; or Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis; or Susan B. Anthony and William Taft; or J. Edgar Hoover and Martin Luther King Jr.
America was founded by contentious rebels -- and one of their principles was that Americans can and should stand against the government when the government is wrong. Over and over, great Americans have stood against the government.
Greetings!
Well, yes, Jhkim, we have been demographically unified from the beginning, being a white European nation, embracing Western Civilization. We are still, as you point out, still a majority White European nation. Also, being largely racially unified in demographics is certainly *not* the same as being politically unified. In politics, we have always had passionate factions and groups. Religiously, yeah, we were founded as a Christian nation, and remain so, even while embracing a variety of flavours of Christianity. Along the way, we have welcomed other, non-Christian religions, such as Buddhists, Hindus, and some Muslims as well. Still though, we remain a Christian nation. Like my friend Amit, a Hindu from India explained to me, yes, he is Hindu, and is grateful that America, a Christian nation, has welcomed him and his family here. He also recognizes that it is important as a non-Christian, to be courteous and to not offend the Christian majority. As far as common moral values, while there have been points of difference, there has been a majority embracement of a common set of cultural moral values. A significant implication of Martin Luther King, for example, is that King appealed to our ancient heritage and our ancient values, instilled within the Constitution and the Scriptures, which most Americans agreed upon. And yes, certainly, there have been some points of contention, as I mentioned. Geronimo was going to lose, one way or the other, because Americans were determined to conquer the whole land, and refused to acknowledge independent Native tribal nations that were viewed as savages and alien, not only in culture, economy, culture, and also religion. Americans have great tolerance, and certainly more tolerance for difference now than back then, but there are limitations to that tolerance. Back then, Natives were not viewed as *citizens*--but as alien, hostile, Pagan savages. Within American society, Americans were generally quite united in purpose in how the Native tribes must be dealt with.
As for being founded by rebels, well, yes. Our founding fathers were quite suspicious of an overreaching, all-powerful, central government. Which is why Jefferson maintained that every now and then, the Tree of Liberty must be watered with the blood of Patriots, so as to forever remind would-be tyrants and corrupt elites that here in America, an armed populace would always stand ready to put an end to their ambitions of tyranny and absolute authority.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK