By Debra Zimmerman Murphey

We are not America
because we close off hope
We are America because we let it in

We are not America
because we fear the truth
We are America because we cling to it

We are not America
because we foment the worst
We are America because we inspire the best

We are not America
because we are about one man
We are America because we are about all mankind

We are not America because we
know only the long nightmares of yesterday
We are America because we see the swift dreams of tomorrow

We are not America
because we think we are perfect
We are America because we know when we need to do better

We are not America
because we uphold the power of party through siloed tyranny
We are America because we respect the sacred power of mass democracy

We are not America
because we think our institutions are inherently weak
We are America because we know our checks and balances are infinitely strong

We are not America because we allow infirmed minds to carve our path
We are America because we allow informed minds to light the way

We are not America
because we allow wrong to persist
We are America because we recognize and do what is right

We are not America
because we only believe in the fierce fighting eagle
We are America because we believe in the peaceful white dove too

Debra Zimmerman Murphey is a VP with Tobin Communications and a former senior editor of PRNEWS.