Berkley Center

The recent event “A More Perfect Union: A Dialogue on American Values,” co-sponsored by Georgetown University and the Ford Foundation, provided a venue for discussion amongst a cross-section of leaders from diverse fields such as politics, business, religion, and education. The most essential question considered was, “Can our nation still find common ground to guide public policy decisions as we confront a new set of domestic challenges?”

America has indeed prospered under the tenets of freedom, equality, and democracy set forth by the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. We have become a nation that prides itself on hard work, self-motivation, and visionary leadership. Alongside a country rich in resources and opportunity, these values have promoted productivity and provided America with a blueprint for continued growth and success. 

Along with our immense freedom came choices – choices that are reflected in our present state. These decisions are evident in the management of our finances, in the way we communicate with each other, in the way we view our relationships, and in the way we make use of our free time. 

Did we, in an attempt to achieve our personal aims, neglect responsibility for our country? Have we allowed our nation to be divided by differences in political views rather than united under the fundamental principles on which our nation was founded? Today our nation suffers from illiteracy, poverty, hunger, and unemployment. We are unequal in wealth, time, power and education. As we look to our value system to solve these problems, we have to first ask ourselves if the meaning of freedom, equality, and democracy can include social responsibility and compromise. In my opinion, it can and it will. As we move forward in confronting domestic challenges, a new generation of voices marked by our determination to seek accountability, cooperation, and social justice will define policymaking discourse.