Mick Rankin for NC House

     America is unique. The fact that we are a nation of immigrants from every corner of the world is distinctive as most other countries derive their identity from a single, or mostly single, heritage and culture. Another distinction is our founding was based on Judeo-Christian principles with a Constitution designed to guarantee the rights of individuals. These rights were recognized as bestowed by God, inherent, without government control.

       We are facing a test to those principles as the division across the country grows. This division is driven by political narrative that highlights inequality, injustice, elitist attitudes, and power aspiration. It stems from a course that has navigated away from the founding principles to one of individualism without respect for God.

       We need to return to the ideals that built this country. Not the errors committed, but the ideals that recognized individual rights and responsibility of living within the bounds of those rights. The Bible, in Romans Chapter 12, discusses that Christians living within the spirit of Christ are unique. Much like the parts of a human body, each with its own function. No one person is more important than the other, but as a whole make up an amazing existence of faith in God. America is the same. As a nation of over 330,000,000 individuals, each of us is as important as the other, all created in the image of God. If we follow the Constitution’s ideals to guarantee equal opportunity to all we will thrive as a nation. We must recognize each have our own path to follow in life. Some will gain prominence; some will live in obscurity. Individual effort drives that outcome, and as individuals we make up the whole of America – diverse, unique, and special.

     The call for “equity” seeks to make everyone equal. If everyone is the same, there is no diversity. Our strength is our diversity. More than color, creed, religion, or identities often used to describe diversity, but also in thought and experience. Our distinctive individuality, and their protections provided by the Constitution, form the greatest country on earth.

WE are America!