Shades of Red and Blue: Uniting Our Divided Nation: Note for a discussion, "E Pluribus Unum? What Keeps the United States United."

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The Ethics Centre Presents a Civilized Forum for Debate on
Saturday, April 1, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. EDT at
The New York Public Library, Celeste Bartos Forum, 42nd Street and Fifth Ave

WWW.SHADESOFREDANDBLUE.COM

Beyond Partisan Politics: A Civilized Forum for Debate will be held April 1st at the New York Public Library

This Saturday, April 1st, join Salman Rushdie (Bestselling author and former PEN President); Anne-Marie Slaughter (President and CEO, New America); John W. Dean (White House Counsel for President Richard Nixon); Lee C. Bollinger (President, Columbia University); Leon Botstein (President, Bard College); Jelani Cobb (New Yorker staff writer and author), Oz Sultan (Advisor to Trump:Pence Campaign), Brandon Washington (President, Brooklyn Young Republican Club), and dozens more authors, activists, journalists, and former White House staffers from both sides of the aisle for a series of spirited conversations about the state of our democracy.

Shades of Red and Blue: Uniting Our Divided Nation at The New York Public Library brings together intelligent minds from diverse points of view to model the art of “principled disagreement” and talk freely and honestly about: loss of trust in the institutions that guard our Constitution, the hardening of American borders, America’s responsibility to provide global security, whether diversity is a glue or dividing line for nations, and free speech, liberty and the public interest. The event has been convened by three non-partisan non-profits—The Ethics Centre, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, and Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program.

You can read more about the event and buy tickets here.

Shades of Red and Blue will consist of a series of six separate discussions:

• The State of the Union: Watergate or Witch-Hunt? WITH: JOHN W. DEAN, HENDRIK HERTZBERG, AND JOHN PODHORETZ
  Join former White House Counsel John W. Dean, New Yorker staff writer and former speechwriter for Jimmy Carter, Hendrik Hertzberg, and John Podhoretz, editor of Commentary Magazine and speechwriter to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, as they ask if America is witnessing a witch-hunt or another Watergate?
• The Problem of Strangers. WITH: JAMIL DAKWAR, SANA MUSTAFA, YAEL EISENSTAT, OZ SULTAN AND CHADWICK MOORE
  Walls. Bans. Raids. The hardening of America’s borders is an essential part of President Trump's program to make America great again. But will tightening immigration make for a safer and more prosperous nation? Should we care for others, not just our own? With Yael Eisenstat - diplomat and national security advisor to Vice President Biden and Oz Sultan - big data and counterterrorism strategist.
• Global Security. WITH: THOMAS M. NICHOLS, ANNE-MARIE SLAUGHTER, ELMIRA BAYRASLI, WALTER RUSSELL MEAD, AND JAMES KETTERER
  For more than half a century, the United States has shouldered a disproportionate share of global security burdens and championed free trade and liberal democracy in the expectation of boosting prosperity at home and abroad. As China rises and Russia reasserts its place in the world, can America control its destiny?
• Race, Religion, and Immigration. WITH: LEE BOLLINGER, JELANI COBB, PAOLA MENDOZA, DERRYCK GREEN, AND JHOSHAN JOTHILINGAM
  Diversity is a strength in some societies. In others, it is a source of unresolved tension that can erupt into fear, hatred, and violence.
• Fake News, Free Speech, and the Media. WITH: SALMAN RUSHDIE, LEON BOTSTEIN, LACHLAN MARKAY, M.Z. HEMINGWAY, AND MATTHEW CONTINETTI
  All democracies have one thing in common – legitimacy. How should governments reconcile freedom of speech with the pursuit of absolute truth and legitimacy?
• Hypothetical – Better Politics for a Better Future: MICHAEL SKOLNIK, ERIN SCHRODE, ADI SATHI, BRANDON WASHINGTON, DAVID MARCUS, AND SIMON LONGSTAFF
  All democracies have one thing in common – a need for legitimacy, which is ultimately derived from the free and informed consent of the people. Some argue journalism only matters when practiced in the public interest by those who care for and seek the truth. Others see the media merely as a tool for exercising influence and believe criticism amounts to treason.

Beyond Partisan Politics #ShadesofRedandBlue: Uniting our Divided Nation 4/1 @NYPL  

About The Ethics Centre: 
The Ethics Centre is an independent Australian organization that exists to bring ethics to the centre of everyday personal and professional life. Based in Sydney, the Centre has provided a venue for individuals to think through and discuss ethical questions for over 25 years.

About Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs: 
Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs is a forum for the world's leading thinkers, experts, and decision makers. The mission of the Council is to enlarge the audience for the simple but powerful message that ethics matter, regardless of place, origin, or belief.

About Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program: 
The Bard Globalization and International Affairs program (BGIA) brings students from across the world to study in New York City and to intern in organizations that match their experience and aspirations. Its faculty are leading scholar-practitioners and program events regularly convene some of the most important and compelling thinkers in international affairs. BGIA is part of Bard College, an institution that acts at the intersection of education and civil society.

For more information regarding the event, visit www.shadesofredandblue.com.

Additional Information: 
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212-203-9443

"E Pluribus Unum? What Keeps the United States United" - Notes and References

[JB - updated 6/1/2017]

I.

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Informal outline of presentation/discussion (details below):

“E Pluribus Unum? What Keeps the United States United.”

This presentation is intended for distinguished European/Eurasian young leaders in various professional fields participating in the “Open World” program, many of whom, although knowledgeable about the Unted States and admirable English speakers, have not yet visited the U.S. 

Note -- The presentation (not read from a script) changes depending on the nature of audiences and recent events; the below is a work in progress, not a “finished product.”

I. Introduction

The presentation -- given from a personal, rather than "official" perspective -- concerns the contentious details of American life rather than abstract USA-theory. It aspires to be humorous. Not social “science.” It's meant to inspire questions, not provide definitive (if any) answers. Not a USG policy statement or political party platform.

The presentation begins with slides showing the variety and diversity of the United States, a country of "only" 240 years. 

How does this vast, diverse nation keep itself together? That’s the main question for our discussion.

--E Pluribus Unum, inscribed on the Great Seal of the U.S. (depicted on the U.S. dollar bill), Latin for "Out of Many, One," is a motto adopted by an Act of the Continental Congress in 1782. Never codified by law, E Pluribus Unum is considered the unofficial motto of the United States.

--E Pluribus Unum is stated in the declarative, but it could very well have been asked in the interrogative.

--For example, even before European colonists reinvented themselves as a new country in a new world (a new world for Europeans) in 1776, Benjamin Franklin warned his fellow colonials (1754): "Join or die."

--During the Civil War (1861-1865) the U.S. did split into North and South. a war that caused more American casualties than another other USA military conflict, including WWI and WWII.

Below further information (see links) on items mentioned, off and on, in the presentation, “E Pluribus Unum? What Keeps the United States United.” Items listed in the order they are presented in the discussion. Note: These are not in-depth “academic” references; just additional information for those interested.

Ia) Introduction: U.S. political/geographical/historical overview

The recent American presidential election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2016

Current “polarization” in the U.S. http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2016/03/american-politics-has-reached-peak.html

Gertrude Stein on what is the question https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/gertrudest126110.html

“Divided States of America”

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/01/divided-states-of-america-review.html
Shades of Red and Blue: Uniting Our Divided Nation (March 30, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/
The Four American Narratives (May 26, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-four-american-narratives-note-for.html
America’s Most Segregated Cities (May 21, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/americas-most-segregated-cities-note.html
A Nation Stuck in Adolescence (May 15, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/a-nation-stuck-in-adolescence-note-for.html
Millennials differ from other generations in almost every regard. Here's the data (April 20, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/millennials-differ-from-other.html
Reid Wilson, American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (2011)

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/eleven-nations-american-woodard.html
Native Americans

http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/native-american-cultures
Cherokee Nation Sues Walmart, others over illegal opioids (April 21, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/cherokee-nation-sues-walmart-others.html
Population history of indigenous peoples of the Americas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_history_of_indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas

E Pluribus Unum (“unofficial" motto on the U.S.)

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2015/10/e-pluribus-unum-note-for-lecture-e.html

Budweiser Rebrands Itself ‘America’ (Just Temporarily) 
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/11/business/budweiser-rebrands-itself-america-temporarily.html
Philip Reid and the Statue of Freedom: One of the most significant contributions by an African American slave in the construction of the Capitol was made by Philip Reid

https://www.aoc.gov/philip-reid-and-statue-freedom

Benjamin Franklin

https://www.amazon.com/Benjamin-Franklin-American-Walter-Isaacson/dp/074325807X

“Join or Die” (1754)

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/join-or-die-further-note-on-1754-item.html
American Revolution Ideas

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/american-revolution-ideas.html
George III

http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/george-iii

Thomas Jefferson “All men are created equal” on Native Americans
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson_and_Native_Americans

"All men are created equal" vs. "the merciless Indian Savages"
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/all-men-are-created-equal-vs-merciless.html
Thomas Jefferson and Slavery

https://www.monticello.org/site/plantation-and-slavery/thomas-jefferson-and-slavery

Declaration of Independence (1776)

http://www.ushistory.org/DECLARATION/document/

Constitution of the United States (1787)

http://constitutionus.com/

American Revolution Ideas
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/american-revolution-ideas.html
Abraham Lincoln

http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/abraham-lincoln

Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind  (novel, 1936, film, 1939)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_with_the_Wind

The Confederacy (1861-1865)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_States_of_America

U.S. Civil War (1861-1865)

https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Civil-War

Civil War Casualties

http://www.civilwar.org/education/civil-war-casualties.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

Lincoln’s Emancipation proclamation  (1863)

http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/emancipation-150/10-facts.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

American isolationism

https://sites.temple.edu/immerman/isolation-and-expansion-by-walter-lippmann-1952/

Civil Rights Movement (1950s-60s)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_Civil_Rights_Movement_(1954%E2%80%931968)

Martin Luther King (1929-1968)

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html

King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech (1963)

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/martin-luther-king-j-speech-i-have.html

Civil Rights Act of 1964
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1964
1968 Washington, D.C. riots
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Washington,_D.C._riots
Arthur Schlesinger, The Disuniting of America (1991)

https://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/review-of-disuniting-of-america-1992.html

Racism in America

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism_in_the_United_States

The key reason why racism remains alive and well in America (2015)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-racism-still-flourishes/2015/06/26/d0e1f2e4-1b6e-11e5-ab92-c75ae6ab94b5_story.html?utm_term=.cf86a9bcab27

Samuel Huntington, Clash of Civilizations (1996)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_Civilizations

Francis Fukuyama, The End of History (1992)

http://www.newsweek.com/fukuyama-end-end-history-88537
Samuel Huntington, Who are We? The Challenges to America's National Identity (2004)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/who-are-we-challenges-to-americas.html
Weber on Protestantism and Capitalism
http://oyc.yale.edu/sociology/socy-151/lecture-16
Nationalists and Cosmopolitans: How Samuel Huntington Predicted Our Political Moment

http://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/07/14/how-samuel-huntington-predicted-our-political-moment/

An [sic] Historic Overview of Latino Immigration and the Demographic Transformation of the United States

https://www.nps.gov/heritageinitiatives/latino/latinothemestudy/pdfs/Immigration_web_final.pdf

Timeline | Latino Americans | PBS

http://www.pbs.org/latino-americans/en/timeline/

5 facts about illegal immigration in the U.S. (2016)

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/03/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/

37 maps that explain how America is a nation of immigrants (2017)

http://www.vox.com/2015/1/12/7474897/immigration-america-maps

The Most Common Jobs Held By Immigrants, State By State

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-most-common-jobs-held-by-immigrants.html 
Princeton — Yes, Princeton — Takes On the Class Divide (May 30, 2017)

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/princeton-yes-princeton-takes-on-class.html
Rural America is the New 'Inner City' (May 28, 1917)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/rural-america-is-new-inner-city-note.html
Cullen Murphy, Are We Rome: The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America (2008)

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/review-are-we-rome-2007-book-cited.html

Historian warns of sudden collapse of American ‘empire’ (2010)
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/141349
Patrick Buchanan, Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025? (2011)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/suicide-of-superpower-will-america.html

Video: Imagining the Fall of the American Empire
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/video-imagining-fall-of-american-empire.html
Harry Turtledove The Disunited States of America (2006)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Disunited_States_of_America

A Golden Age for Dystopian Fiction (June, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/a-golden-age-for-dystopian-fiction.html
The Man in the High Castle (TV series, 2015 - present)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_in_the_High_Castle_(TV_series)

Planet of the Apes (Film, first version 1968)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_of_the_Apes
As if Things Weren't Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of the U.S. (2008)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123051100709638419

***

II) Elements contributing to American Unity:

From least important to (arguably) most important

10. Race

“Race” - U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census of Population

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/meta/long_RHI205210.htm

American Anthropological Association Statement on "Race" (1977)

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/02/amercan-anthropological-association.html

U.S. Census looking at big changes in how it asks about race and ethnicity (2014)
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/03/14/u-s-census-looking-at-big-changes-in-how-it-asks-about-race-and-ethnicity/

Is being Hispanic a matter of race, ethnicity or both?
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5414658055211487499#editor/target=post;postID=9179767785743637135;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=9;src=postname 

U.S. Census Projections (2012)

https://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2016/02/us-census-bureau-projections-show.html?showComment=1474161117229

Klu Klux Klan

http://www.history.com/topics/ku-klux-klan

US suicide rate surges, particularly among white people (2016)

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36116166

Race and ethnicity in the United States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_ethnicity_in_the_United_States 

Where are your ancestors from?
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/where-are-your-ancestors-from-note-for.html
Benjamin Franklin on German-Americans

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2016/07/benjamin-franklin-on-german-americans_19.html

The Great Migration

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/great-migration

Ethiopians in Washington, D.C.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopians_in_Washington,_D.C.

Interracial marriage: Who is ‘marrying out’?
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/06/12/interracial-marriage-who-is-marrying-out/
Chirlane McCray

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chirlane_McCray

The Movie ‘Get Out’ Is a Strong Antidote to the Myth of ‘Postracial’ America (2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-movie-get-out-is-strong-antidote-to.html

"The Uproar Over ‘Transracialism’" (May 18, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-uproar-over-transracialism-note-for.html
Comic W. Kamau Bell: We are living in the ‘most racial America' (2016)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/center-for-community-change-action/comic-w-kamau-bell-we-are_b_10919724.html
Post-racial America

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-racial_America

***

9. Culture

American Culture: Traditions and Customs of the United States (2015)

http://www.livescience.com/28945-american-culture.html

101 Characteristics of Americans/American Culture

https://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/9780472033041-101AmerCult.pdf

10 Ways to Spot an American Abroad

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2015/12/10-ways-to-spot-american-abroad-note.html

Why Americans Smile So Much
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/why-americans-smile-so-much.htmlr
Definition of American Pop Culture

https://www.csub.edu/~bruff/Pop%20Culture%20Articles.pdf

McDonald's is ditching artificial flavors, preservatives in vanilla ice cream treats (May 19, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/mcdonalds-is-ditching-artificial.html
Sports in the United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_in_the_United_States

What American pop culture tells the world (2014)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2014/12/02/what-american-pop-culture-tells-the-world/?utm_term=.f96c555b566b

America Is the Only Country That Went from Barbarism to Decadence Without Civilization In Between 

http://quoteinvestigator.com/2011/12/07/barbarism-decadence/
Eating at your desk? Your cubemates may be seething (April 5, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/eating-at-your-desk-your-cubemates-may.html 

Arts Diplomacy: The Neglected Aspect of Cultural Diplomacy (2006) [pp. 73-74]

http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/academy/pdf/research/books/public_diplomacy/America%E2%80%99s_Dialogue_With_The_World.pdf

Whatever Happened to High Culture? (2015)

http://www.weeklystandard.com/whatever-happened-to-high-culture/article/1055581

Should the U.S. Have a Secretary of Culture? (2013)

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/07/should-the-us-have-a-secretary-of-culture/277409/

***

8. History/Geography

The Civil War (TV series, 1990)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Civil_War_(TV_series)
Finding the ways we honor U.S. Presidents in Richmond
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/finding-ways-we-honor-us-presidents-in.html
The debate over Confederate monuments shows how far the U.S. has to go (May 30, 2017)

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-debate-over-confederate-monuments.html
Alabama governor signs law protecting Confederate monuments from removal (May 28, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/alabama-governor-signs-law-protecting.html
How Did Robert E. Lee Become an American Icon? (July/August 2011)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/how-did-robert-e-lee-become-american.html
Mitch Landrieu’s Speech on the Removal of Confederate Monuments in New Orleans
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/mitch-landrieus-speech-on-removal-of.html
Good Riddance to Confederate Monuments (April 29, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/good-riddance-to-confederate-monuments.html

National Museum of American History: Home

http://americanhistory.si.edu/
List of U.S. state historical societies and museums

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_historical_societies_and_museums

No U.S. History? How College History Departments Leave the United States out of the Major (2016)

https://www.goacta.org/images/download/no_u_s_history.pdf

How Much U.S. History Do Americans Actually Know? Less Than You Think (2015)

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-much-us-history-do-americans-actually-know-less-you-think-180955431/

Henry Ford: “History is more or less bunk.” (2016)

https://www.thoughtco.com/henry-ford-why-history-is-bunk-172412

Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia (2014)

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/nov/21/gore-vidal-united-states-of-amnesia-the-fall-review

“[N]early one in five high school seniors think that Germany was an ally of the United States in World War II.” (2014)
https://books.google.com/books?id=EpebBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA203&lpg=PA203&dq=us+germany+allies+world+II+George+W.+bush+high+school+students&source=bl&ots=HhfiUMAJ0J&sig=Do2F0V0U2ySCIlrEjY8JW06mHmU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjujaTU6_vSAhVE5YMKHcD4AvwQ6AEIKDAD#v=onepage&q=us%20germany%20allies%20world%20II%20George%20W.%20bush%20high%20school%20students&f=false

Americans’ geography skills remain poor (May 15, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/americans-geography-skills-remain-poor.html
Americans Were Asked To Place European Countries On A Map. Here’s What They Wrote: [no date; “3 years ago”]

http://www.boredpanda.com/americans-place-european-countries-on-map/

Americans: Ukraine is in ... Greenland? (2014)

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-26943479

“Don’t Know Much About History” (video of the popular song, [What A] Wonderful World)

https://play.google.com/music/preview/Tmbg7yobntz2idk7sucktm5obje?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-songlyrics

History for Dummies (2014)

https://www.amazon.com/U-S-History-Dummies-Steve-Wiegand/dp/1118888987/ref=pd_sbs_14_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AGDP695YC1VZ38ZMCAAA

***

7.  Language

American English

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_English

“If English was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for Texas” (2006)

http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/if_english_was_good_enough_for_jesus_its_good_enough_for_texas

English is language of success in U.S. (2006)

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-05-21/news/0605210305_1_english-proposal-immigration-debate-fields

Why Americans don't learn languages (2012)

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/opinion/2012/11/26/why-americans-dont-learn-languages

Making English the official language contradicts U.S. history, Constitution (2011)

http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2011/11/making_english_the_official_la.html
The First And True Language Of America
https://notalwaysright.com/the-first-and-true-language-of-america/31947 
What is the future of Spanish in the United States?  (2013)

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/05/what-is-the-future-of-spanish-in-the-united-states/

Better Get Used to Living in a Bilingual America (2014)

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2014-05-13/americans-already-live-in-a-bilingual-nation

http://www.westernjournalism.com/will-america-become-a-bilingual-society/ (2013)

http://www.westernjournalism.com/will-america-become-a-bilingual-society/

Standard American English (2005)

http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/standardamerican/

Why the bad grammar? (2004)

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/dec/15/20041215-085728-5559r/

Not Loving Like (2012)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-brown/not-loving-like_b_1442596.html

Apostrophe Catastrophe, or the Consolations of the Internet (2011)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-brown/apostrophe-catastrophe_b_868537.html

***

6. Religion

In God we Trust

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust

In God We Trust vs E Pluribus Unum (2014)

http://www.newsmax.com/Finance/MikeFuljenz/motto-in-God-we-trust-E-Pluribus-Unum-US/2014/06/02/id/574541/

Clinton Faux Pas: National Motto Is “In God We Trust” Not E Pluribus Unum (2016)

http://www.redstate.com/matthewclark/2016/07/29/clinton-faux-pas-national-motto-in-god-trust-we-pluribus-unum/

Atheists Lose Battle To Have ‘In God We Trust’ Removed From U.S. Currency (2013)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/12/atheists-in-god-we-trust_n_3916762.html

Nine out of ten Americans believe in God (2016)

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/most-americans-still-believe-in-god.html

Pledge of Allegiance (originally composed in 1887)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance

God Bless the USA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Bless_the_USA

God is an American

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Is_American

David Bowie full (repetitious) lyrics:

God is an American

God is an American

God is an American

God is an American

God is an American

God is an American

God is an American

God is an American

https://play.google.com/music/preview/Twasanhnroi3gswy5f6zexb6zje?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-songlyrics

People & Ideas: God and the Constitution

http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/people/god-and-the-constitution.html

Separation of church and state in the United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state_in_the_United_States

Why God is in the Declaration of Independence but not the Constitution (2016)

https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/02/why-god-is-in-the-declaration-but-not-the-constitution/

America’s Changing Religious Landscape (2015)
http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/

The most and least racially diverse U.S. religious groups
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-most-and-least-racially-diverse-us.html

***

5. Central Government

Creating the United States: Forging a Federal Government

https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/creating-the-united-states/forging-a-federal-government.html

Separation of Powers

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/separation-of-powers-further-note-for.html

Branches of Government

https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government

Presidential Power (2017)

http://www.weeklystandard.com/presidential-power/article/2006527#!

States’ rights

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States%27_rights

A Beginner's Guide To America's Tax System (2011)

http://www.businessinsider.com/a-beginners-guide-to-americas-tax-system-2011-4

***

4. Local Associations

Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859)

http://www.history.com/topics/alexis-de-tocqueville; see also.

Tocqueville on associations in civil life in America

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/alexis-de-tocqueville-on-use-that.html

Americans as "joiners": from Daniel J. Boorstin: The Americans: the national experience (1973)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/daniel-j-boorstin-americans-national.html

America Still a Nation of Joiners (1995); see above “Join or Die.”

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/21/opinion/l-america-s-still-a-nation-of-joiners-028959.html

Volunteering in the United States (2014)

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.toc.htm

Volunteering in America Is On the Decline (2014)

http://www.newsweek.com/2014/10/03/volunteering-america-decline-272675.html

Facebook

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook

Tocqueville: “In democratic times, bond of human affection is extended, but it is relaxed."[scroll down link for item]

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2015/11/key-quotations-from-de-tocqueville-note.html

“community”

http://robertdputnam.com/community-in-america/

“Networking”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_networking

***

3. The Economy

Income Inequality 
http://inequality.org/income-inequality/

It’s a tale of two countries (April 2, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/its-tale-of-two-countries-note-for.html
The owner-­renter divide (May 10, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-owner-renter-divide-note-for.html
Is the freedom of the gig economy worth it? (May 7, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/is-freedom-of-gig-economy-worth-it-note.html
Top 10 highest-paid CEOs (May 24, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/05/top-10-highest-paid-ceos-note-for.html
The Business-School Boondoggle (April 25, 1917)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-business-school-boondoggle.html
Democracy, Greed, and the Perils of Equality (2016)

http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/democracy-greed-and-perils-equality

Making It in America

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/01/making-it-in-america/308844/

Does Money Unite the American Middle Class?

https://www.cspace.com/blog/does-money-unite-the-american-middle-class/

“The business of America is business”

http://www.thisdayinquotes.com/2010/01/business-of-america-is-business.html

***

2. Ideas/Ideals

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (cited again)
The Ideals of America (1902; speech by Woodrow Wilson)

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1902/12/the-ideals-of-america/376192/
Thomas Jefferson and slavery

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson_and_slavery
Is the US the most hypocritical country in the world?
http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-the-us-the-most-hypocritical-country-in-the-world

"Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue"
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/f/francoisde124518.html
American exceptionalism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism

What Every American Should know (2016)

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/knowledge-bank/articles/2016-01-11/top-10-civic-ideals-and-cultural-principles-that-every-american-should-know

The Authority of Ideas (2003)

https://hbr.org/2003/08/the-authority-of-ideas

***

1. Change – not “standing still” – as a unifying factor

Dictionary definition of change

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/change

Tyler Cowen, The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream (2017)

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/americas-complacent-class-how-self.html

Yuval Levin, The Fractured Republic (2016)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-fragmented-society-2016-note-for.html

Young Americans aren’t moving like they used to (April 18, 2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/young-americans-arent-moving-like-they.html
Americans’ attitude toward change and revolution (Tocqueville)

http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/alexis-de-tocqueville-democracy-in_24.html

Historian Richard Hofstadter: “America is the only country in history that believes it was born perfect and strives for improvement."

https://books.google.com/books?id=RKzUqXc3BHgC&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127&dq=america+is+the+only+country+in+history+that+believed+it+was+born+perfect+but+strives+for+improvement&source=bl&ots=VL1d3veGMy&sig=fRdFdp_m8NOijrPktkH_0LS7In0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiTi7ronP7SAhUFTSYKHUnTC14Q6AEIHzAA#v=onepage&q=america%20is%20the%20only%20country%20in%20history%20that%20believed%20it%20was%20born%20perfect%20but%20strives%20for%20improvement&f=false

American Dream

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream

What Is the American Dream? Quotes and History

https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-the-american-dream-quotes-and-history-3306009

The American Dream, Quantified at Last (2016)
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/08/opinion/the-american-dream-quantified-at-last.html
Is the American Dream Killing Us? (2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/is-american-dream-killing-us.html
Requiem for the American Dream (2015)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3270538/
What's Become of the American Dream? (2017)
http://johnbrownnotesandessays.blogspot.com/2017/04/whats-become-of-american-dream-note-for.html
“In America, you can reinvent yourself at any turn." (writer Adam Johnson)
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/adamjohnso442718.html

Britney Spears puts on special performance for TODAY, talks about her 'reinvention' (2016)
http://www.today.com/popculture/britney-spears-puts-special-performance-today-talks-about-her-reinvention-t102443
"If America stands for anything, it is reinvention, renewal and second chances." (2017)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/reset-your-life-in-an-hour-1491261280

***

Walt Whitman,"Song of the Open Road." (1856) 

www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/48859:

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,

Healthy, free, the world before me,

The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.

Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune . ...

Walt Whitman image from