Kieran Halloran (Georgetown) on American Values

10 years later, unfortunately, a much different story is being told. This is a story in which politicians refuse to compromise when the country is facing some of its greatest challenges ever. This is a story in which a person cannot even speak their mind and tell their story without being insulted and ridiculed by someone else. While this great country came together like never before in the wake of such terrible events 10 years ago, it seems nearly impossible for it to confront the challenges today as a unified people.

However, despite this grim situation, there still is hope that this country may unify behind a shared set of beliefs and values. For the same set of values that united this country so many times before can once again draw us together as we confront some of the most controversial and difficult issues of our time. And while it may take some time and discussion to find what these values are, their existence is evident when one notes the way people from all over the country have gathered to help another part of the country that has suffered. Whether it’s the terrorist attacks in 2001, or the destruction from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 or the BP oil spill just a couple years ago, people in this country have come together many times to help in the wake of tragedy.

Today this country faces a plethora of issues unlike anything it has encountered before. And while we may possess the shared values that could guide us through these difficulties, we are drawn apart by extreme rhetoric and an unwillingness to listen to each other. Nonetheless, there are shared values that rest at the heart of this country and once we recognize that, we can forge ahead with the strength that has guided this country through hardships many times before.