Irrespective of how they view one another, when people in your neighborhood or community
think of their main allegiances and loyalties today, what is important? The country? Religious
and ethnic loyalties? Or do many people in your community seem to express no loyalty to
anything beyond themselves?
At the time of America's founding, leaders like Madison, Washington, and Jefferson appealed
for national unity in part on grounds that Americans shared a European origin. Americans today
come from all parts of the world. Should this matter in attempting to build "a more perfect
union" in specific communities and in the country?
The framers made quite clear that while they respected the role of the individual states and
communities, their aim was to create a country--the United States of America. They hoped that
loyalty to the country over time would prevail over other loyalties. The Federalist Papers #2 by John Jay makes this point quite clear. Do people in your community or neighborhood agree?
In previous periods of our history, communities have used national holidays like Presidents'
Day, the Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving to remind residents of their heritage as Americans.
Does your community or neighborhood still sponsor such events? Would they make a
difference?
