American ~ Does that mean anything any more?

Years ago when I was working evenings, I would get up in the morning and watch The Early Show on CBS.  Now that I work days, I listen to the radio as I get ready to leave.  However, this morning I decided to turn the TV on and changed the channel to CBS.  And I'm glad I did.  Pat Buchanan was giving an interview to discuss his book Suicide Of A Superpower.  I have not read the book.  In fact, I hadn't heard of it until this morning.  I linked it only so you can obtain more information if you are interested in doing so.  The interview piqued my interest because Buchanan was expressing an idea that I have long been concerned about.  I even posted about it here. 

So what was Buchanan talking about? The idea that we are no longer living in a united country.  When the settlers first came to the United States, they were mostly seeking the same thing.  They wanted freedom from tyranny, freedom from persecution for their religious beliefs which were different than the Church of England's.  The people were united when the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written.  And the majority remained united by their beliefs, by their goals and ambitions even as more people came to our shores looking for something greater than what they had.  Now where is that unity? I don't see it.  The citizens of our country are so different, so independent, so focused on themselves that there is no unity.  And I fear the freedom this country was founded upon has been so abused that it will one day tear us apart.

American.  That used to mean something.

United States ~ United By What?

You know the phrase, "You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything?" I am a true believer in this.  I feel like the United States of America used to stand for something.  However, I often find myself asking what that something is now.  Perhaps equality is the answer.  But in our determination to offer equality to everybody, we've become so diversified that we no longer have unity.  We've got different cultures, different religions, even different languages.  So what unites us? There might have been a time when we could at least claim it was our citizenship that united us, but we can't say that anymore! There are too many people living here who are not citizens.  Why is that, by the way? Illegal immigrants seek our country for better opportunities~ better jobs, better money, better education, etc.  But they don't seek citizenship.  Why not? I wonder where their true loyalties lie.  But I digress.

So I ask again.  What unites us? Freedom? Maybe.  Ask yourself this, though.  Do you want freedom for everyone or just for a few? If you really ask yourself, you may find an unpleasant answer. 

I believe the problem is we've strayed too far from what the United States was intended to be.  We use (and abuse) the Constitution without taking into account what was intended when it was written.  That's my thought anyway.  What does everyone else think?