05-What We Are Losing

"America is everybody's child" - anonymous

            The United States of America is two things. It is a physical country with borders that must be secure, people who must be valued and protected, controlled welcoming immigration, and an economy that must function for everyone. It is also, more than other countries, an idea, a working belief that democracy with personal freedom for all citizens is the only sustainable form of government.

            Both must be actively promoted and protected. We cannot survive without both.

            From my years of traveling to perform in Europe, usually solo, I gathered two important comments on our country from people on the outside.

            First, I was told that Americans are widely respected for two traits: for being among the most open and generous people on the planet and for our ability to "just do it", to take chances and try. Note that neither directly involves economic or military power. I felt more genuine pride in America than I ever had before. We don't have to be the "greatest". We contribute our unique gifts to the world community. That's enough. Other cultures have other gifts. It's not a competition, it's a collaboration.

            Second, a man attending a show I did in Innsbruck (these were usually small shows, 30 to 50 people) talked to me at the break between sets. He was from Sarajevo. It was the time of their troubles. He was deeply disappointed that the US wasn't helping them more. He wanted to understand why. I couldn't answer his question of course. Then he said something I've never forgotten. He said that no one can hate America because "America is everybody's child".

            I tell these stories now because this is what we are losing, and it matters.

            To protect our physical country and its citizens from external and internal threats we need the military and the police. These are people, citizens like the rest of us. In order to do the dangerous and often unpleasant work they do, they have to believe in what they are doing, in the country and citizens they are protecting, and they have to know their country and their fellow citizens believe in them. We are their partners in everything they do. They need our support. Glory, honor, and money aren’t enough. If the military and the police aren’t in their souls proud of their country and know that their country is proud of them and has their back, they will falter and eventually fail. All the training, weapons, and fighting words in the world can’t change that. This means that we must only ask them to do things that protect both Americas, the country and the idea. There has to be a moral consideration for everything, even if we don’t live up to it always. The world is messy.

            And we need partners outside America, other countries as allies, to share the dangers and goals we find in common. A soldier has buddies. A flyer has wingmen. A sailor has shipmates. This is so ingrained in a professional warrior that they don’t think about it as something to defend. No person or country can go it alone. We need each other. If we are truly putting America first, we have to understand this and nurture relationships with allies.

            The loss of respect for America, at home and abroad, doesn’t make us stronger, it makes us weaker. We don’t have to be perfect, we aren’t and never will be. We just have to believe we are doing our best to be better, because we have faith in the dream that founded America, and we believe in the innate goodness of Americans. Strong countries don’t run from mistakes, they face them and do better next time.

            Hugh Moffatt
            Nashville, Tennessee
            October 26, 2026