Throughout the past decade, I have gotten into a relatively good groove with my current life. Many people ask why I would consider stepping away from the comfort I worked hard to achieve. It’s a good question, one I can only answer with a foreboding feeling; I am consciously worried about us. I’m concerned about our identity as Americans and the relationships we have with each other. I worry about our ability to have civil discourse, the one principle that allowed this experiment of Democracy to last for what is approaching 250 years.
Truthfully, I’m worried about our future as Americans. And I know many people out there who are as well. I want to go talk to them.
We have had times in our country’s history where the civil discourse has been worse than it is now. Coupled with our local way of life being threatened, we have taken up arms against each other to protect the status quo. But in these times, we have understood that in order for us to progress, we must unite under a common direction, progressive or conservative, even if the direction is scary to us, and we have reservations about it.
It’s time to come back together. We have much bigger problems on the horizon that need us all.
My run is more than just a simple jaunt across the country. It’s a movement… one molded by research, listening, caring, understanding, and pride.
Every good movement needs a symbol. I needed something to express the movement whenever words fail me, something that represents America’s differences of opinion yet conveys the unifying thread that is found throughout those differences. I wanted it to express our inherent freedom and liberty, our pursuit of truth and industry, and our uncanny ability to rise above the worst of who we can be. I needed the symbol to express the notion that our civil discourse can help us come together, and burn bright towards our northern star. With the help of our friends at No Filter, we have been able to find the essence of the movement, distilled into one simple icon.
You will hear more details about this as time progresses this year. I will carry this across America as I chat with folks about the Great American Experiment called American Democracy.
There’s nothing we can’t accomplish if we believe in each other and we’re willing to work at it.