A July 4th Principles First Rollup
Sitting in our lament and pressing into hope on Independence Day.
Happy Fourth of July to all! I hope you find yourself poolside, by the grill, or awaiting a fireworks display with friends or family as you’re opening this tonight.
As we press into our patriotism today, it likely feels more difficult for many to do than in the past. We question if patriotism is still a good thing as we see it devolve into nationalism for so many; we mourn the national response to the COVID-19 epidemic as well as the reminders over the last year of how far we still have to come in achieving racial equality; we watch as it feels political opponents see each other increasingly more as enemies, and wonder if one country is slowly drifting off into two.
But as we sit in that pain and that tension, let’s dive into some great content from The Dispatch, Strong Towns, Deseret News, and Nations Media that will help feel encouraged in our patriotism and exhorted towards those things that will help us build a better nation:
How do Christian patriots love their country well? In this edition of the weekly “French Press” newsletter at The Dispatch, David French contends that the best way to respond to Christian nationalism is not a reactionary detestment of America, but rather a healthy and Gospel-rooted Christian patriotism that pursues justice rather than power. French makes the case that we should not cede the word patriotism to nationalists, and should rather fight to preserve its true and right meaning and purpose in American life.
Shine a spotlight on the good that's happening in your town. In this episode of Strong Towns’ podcast The Bottom-Up Revolution, Nick Meyer of Volume One talks about the powerful feedback loop that happens when you shine a spotlight on what’s going on in your town. If those of us who approach politics and civic engagement with a Principles First framework hope to grow our tribe and convince those who currently look to alternatives on the left or the right, coalition-building starts with pointing to those things in our communities that we can mutually agree are inherently good. Only then can we begin to discuss the best means and methods to see more of those kinds of things come into our communities, cities, states, and country.
The importance of trying to build bipartisanship. Mitt Romney has been one of the Republican senators looking to facilitate a bipartisan infrastructure bill that has received the support of President Joe Biden. Deseret News’s Dennis Romboy takes a look at Romney’s continued efforts to facilitate bipartisanship in a polarized Congress and a polarized nation, while asking the question, “Do bipartisan coalitions actually produce law?
Los Angeles wants the homeless neither seen nor heard. At Nations Media, Kevin Nye takes a deep dive into the way the City of Los Angeles is looking to handle its epidemic of homelessness. Despite consistent evidence that housing-first policies not only uphold human dignity, but also save taxpayer dollars, L.A has continually looked for ways to ostracize and criminalize its most marginalized citizens, often destroying tents and encampments with little to no warning. The entire piece is worth reading, and humanizes an issue that is too often looked at only through academic and political lenses.
Have something we should be reading? Send your recommendations for the Principles First Rollup to pfrollupeditor@gmail.com.
This month’s Principles First Rollup editor is Michael Natelli. You can find him on Twitter at @michaelnatelli or read his work at Cross Streets (cross-streets.com).