Joshua's Reviews > What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism

Dan Rather writes patriotically in a way that does not leave the reader with a feeling of indigestion. It's a tragedy that that sentence needs be written at the start of a review, but the sentiment remains true. A great many pundits an would-be television personalities get paid lots of money to write about "America" and what is right or wrong about it depending on their right or left perspective, and the end result is that any and all discussion of politics becomes fraught with the nasty partisanship that, as I addressed at the start, leaves one feeling gassy and repulsed at the concept of public discourse.

Rather's political position in this book in one of national, political, spiritual, and emotional unification. that's a fancy pants way of saying Rather wants people to get along. It's all very likely that this collection of essays could become dated as the years go on, but there is a real intellectual thesis in these essays that captures something of the American spirit. Rather sees an America which can be strong and enact real change in this world. Rather focus on the divisions in this nation as the defining quality, Rather tries in each of these essays to look at a facet of the society and tries to find something which can unite us together. Whether it's science,sufferage, libraries, immigration, the free press, the environment, or even the government itself Rather sings in each one a love song to the idea that America can unite to accomplish amazing things. This book is a vision of hope in a time when the landscape of the citizenry is divided by petty infighting and emotional partisanship.

By the end of this collection I was reminded why I love my country, and why I believe in this country. I want America to be great, but only if it means working with my fellow citizens to make it so.