At its best, America is not a land of warring factions, but a community built on trust, curiosity, and shared humanity. When we divide the world into “us” and “them,” we are not preserving our nation’s spirit — we are dismantling it.
Being American is not about race, religion, or the tribe you belong to. It is about citizenship — about respecting the Constitution and protecting the rights it guarantees to every citizen, no matter their background. The Founders envisioned a civic identity, not a tribal one.
Yes, the Constitution protects our right to belong to groups. We are free to gather in churches, political parties, cultural communities, and civic organizations. These enrich our lives, but they are not the same as being an American citizen. Citizenship asks something greater of us: to honor the rule of law and safeguard the rights of all, even those we may disagree with.
The danger comes when loyalty to a group eclipses loyalty to the civic whole. Tribalism turns neighbors into enemies and faith into a weapon. It replaces trust with suspicion and compassion with contempt. The wilderness we now face as a nation is not geographical but internal: a wilderness of anger, fear, and distrust.
To be American is to honor difference while safeguarding unity. We do not have to think alike or pray alike, but we do have to share a commitment to the Constitution and to each other. That is what makes us a people — not our tribes, but our citizenship.
And beyond citizenship lies something even more fundamental: empathy. The ability to imagine life through someone else’s eyes, to pause before judgment and ask, “What must it feel like to be them?”
For too long, empathy has been dismissed as weakness. In truth, it is a strength. I know this because I try, every day, to put myself in another person’s shoes. Not because I always agree with them, but because I recognize them as human beings. That is what binds us together, and without it, our democracy collapses into cruelty.
Empathy is not a luxury. It is one of the core values of a strong society. If we cannot see each other’s struggles, if we cannot listen across our differences, then tribalism wins. And when tribalism wins, America loses.
The way forward is not to harden our hearts, but to soften them. To step out of the wilderness of anger and distrust, and rediscover the simple, radical truth: we are stronger when we care for one another.
About the Author
Reid Harlocker is a semi-retired professional engineer based in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. When he’s not traveling or home-roasting single-origin coffees, he reflects on America’s history and how the past continues to shape our society today.
Wow! You have captured the essence of what it is to be an American in this amazingly short piece! I hope I can share this widely. Do I have permission to do so?
Well written...I wish everyone would read this...and take it to heart