See below for video and Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s remarks at today’s Monticello Independence Day celebration and naturalization ceremony. And yes, it’s true, that – as Gov. Spanberger says – “Loving our country, celebrating America isn’t just waving the flag on the front lawn or cheering for the U.S. soccer team — though that is fun this year. It’s choosing to believe in our founding ideals. It’s knowing that our founding ideals are just that — ideals — dependent upon us to make real.”
Unfortunately, we are currently led by a president who doesn’t understand or give a crap about any of that, who contradicts those ideals every single day, and who has absolutely no respect for “what has made us special throughout history.”
The question is whether this is simply another “time when we Americans are facing an array of challenges,” that what we’re going through right now is not “unique in our history,” as Gov. Spanberger says – or whether, in fact, we are currently living through completely unprecedented times, other than the Civil War, with the outcome highly uncertain, and with enormous damage being done on a daily basis to our constitution, rule of law, professed ideals, international reputation, you name it.
My belief, having read a ton of American history, is that the times we face now are uniquely dangerous, with corruption and malfeasance coming out of the party in power orders of magnitude worse than anything we’ve ever seen before, or that most Americans ever dreamed in their worst nightmares. Combine that with the seeming collapse of our system of checks and balances, including the Supreme Court, Congress, the media, etc., and…yeah, it’s hard to understand how Americans could be feeling particularly celebratory right now…
Finally, since this was a naturalization ceremony, I’d point out that immigrants from all over the world are one of the main factors that have made America great, and that the Trump administration’s hostility to immigration from vast swaths of the world – other than white South Africans, maybe folks from northern Europe or whatever – is wildly antithetical to “making America great. In fact, hostility to *legal* immigration, of people from all over the world who want to come here to work hard, abide by the law, and make a better life for themselves and their families, is pretty much as UNAmerican as you can get – yet that’s exactly what the likes of Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, Markwayne Mullin, etc. believe. Because, obviously, it’s NOT about the “criminal illegal aliens” part, given that the vast majority of immigrants being rounded up and deported by this heinous administration are simply living their lives, going to work (often at back-breaking, low-paying jobs that native-born Americans don’t want to do), and trying to pursue their American dream. And yes, actions really do speak louder than words, in this case and almost every case…
Governor Spanberger Delivers Keynote Remarks at Monticello Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony
Governor Spanberger: “Seeing America Through the Eyes of Others is a Gift”
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today delivered the keynote address at the Monticello Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony — joining Virginians from across the Commonwealth to welcome 75 new American citizens.
In her remarks, Governor Spanberger reflected on the ideals that inspire our nation’s founding, the enduring promise of American independence, and the responsibility each generation — and each American — carries to build a more perfect union. The Governor was joined at the ceremony by National Honorary Chair of VA250 Carly Fiorina, President and CEO of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Dr. Jane Kamensky, Virginia Supreme Court Justice John Charles Thomas, and Virginians from the Charlottesville community and across the Commonwealth.
Read Governor Abigail Spanberger’s full remarks as prepared:
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Good morning, everyone. It is great to be back in Charlottesville.
To Dr. Kamensky, to Justice Thomas, to the honored guests and the families gathered on this beautiful, historic lawn — and most of all: to the seventy-five men and women who came here this morning as citizens of thirty-five different nations, and who will leave here as citizens of one — the United States of America — Good morning.
Happy Fourth of July.
As we all know, this is not just any Fourth of July. This is the two hundred and fiftieth — the semiquincentennial.
America’s story began right here in Virginia — in fact our slogan for the semiquincentennial is America: Made in Virginia, other Governors love it when I say that!
But it’s true — our founders — Virginians like Washington, Madison, and Jefferson believed in what could be.
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson boldly proclaimed that they would create a new nation based on ideals — that there are self-evident truths, that all men are created equal, that we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights. That among them are life, liberty — and the pursuit of happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
He wrote that to secure these rights, they would create a new nation that would take on the extraordinary task of governing itself — deriving power from the consent of the governed.
In that document — and the ones that followed — our founders chose to believe in a new nation — a nation not built on or bound by language, religion, or fealty to kings or queens, but on ideals, unlike anything the world had ever seen.
And 250 years later, you all — are making the same choice they once did. You are choosing to believe in the ideals of liberty, justice, and self-governance. You are choosing the United States of America.
Over the past few weeks, there have been social media stories going viral as World Cup tourists discover America — everything from free refills of ranch dressing to the kindness and curiosity of everyday Americans.
In video after video, people visiting the U.S. are reflecting upon the beauty of America and the quirks of America — the uniqueness and power of America and our people.
The papers have been writing up these human interest stories as opportunities for Americans to see themselves through the eyes of others and an opportunity to fall in love with America again.
I remember years ago when I was living in France with a French family, my host mother recounted her love of our country — she was a little girl during WWII and one of her most formative memories was witnessing American soldiers march through Paris after the liberation.
She told me — and I’ll never forget it — “the Americans freed France and they gave us children candy.” To her that was the essence of America: a people who would believe in ideals so deeply that they would fight for someone else’s freedom and then rather than marching like conquering heroes, they would bring candy for the children.
Seeing America through the eyes of others is a gift. And each of you have seen something in this country so powerful that you have chosen to make our country your home.
Choosing to come here for adventure, for love, for an education, to pursue a dream that may only be possible in America.
Choosing to come for survival, second chances, or to escape tyranny — in pursuit of a place where ideals and principles are what unite us.
Fifty years ago — for America’s bicentennial — President Gerald Ford stood on this same lawn, at this same ceremony, and welcomed a group of new Americans just like you.
In his speech, he said something simple, but yet special. He said:
“After two centuries, there is still something wonderful about being an American. If we cannot quite express it, we know what it is. You know what it is — or you would not be here today.”
You saw something wonderful in our nation and you made a conscious choice — a choice to learn, to study, to commit yourselves to America — you have chosen to become Americans.
And as you inspire us all here today, I would challenge everyone present to learn from your example.
How can we work to make the ideals on parchment — the ideals that founded our country — real? How can we also “choose America?”
I can’t answer that question directly because there is no one right answer.
Loving our country, celebrating America isn’t just waving the flag on the front lawn or cheering for the U.S. soccer team — though that is fun this year. It’s choosing to believe in our founding ideals. It’s knowing that our founding ideals are just that — ideals — dependent upon us to make real.
It’s also smiling at someone as you walk down the street. It’s checking on your neighbor during a heat wave. It’s reminding your friends to register to vote. It is the straightforward idea that if you see a wrong, you take it upon yourself as an American to make it right.
You are becoming Americans at a time when we Americans are facing an array of challenges and the world needs us to lead — and while it may feel like a difficult and challenging time, it is not unique in our history.
In fact, what has made us special throughout history — is that year after year, we’ve had new Americans folding into our country, standing with the ones who came earlier — tackling problems, innovating, and breathing new vibrancy and life into our nation.
That is what we need you to do — to believe as deeply in our nation on days of challenge as you do today. And may we all join you in that.
In a few minutes, you will raise your right hands. You will take an oath and become part of our great American history because we are not just a nation of immigrants; we are a nation renewed, enlivened, and blessed by them.
So, on behalf of us all: welcome home.
And to the rest of us — these seventy-five patriots have given us a gift this morning. They have reminded us that the ideals of this country are not simply inherited — they are available to anyone who chooses them.
We should follow their example. We should choose America, too.
Thank you again for having me today. Happy Fourth of July. And congratulations.
