When Donald Trump rode down the escalator of Trump Tower and announced his presidential campaign, the tone of the country changed.
Instead of the spiel of hope voters usually see in a candidate, the Trump campaign vowed to put America back on track to greatness. If elected, he, unlike any other 2016 presidential candidate, would “make America great again.”
However, Trump’s campaign is not the only one in history to thrive off the notion of restoring America. Ronald Reagan used a similar slogan in 1980, and even Bill Clinton said it a few times in the early ’90s. Both sides of the political spectrum have used the idea that America is no longer the country it should be.
Since Trump’s candidacy began, people started to once again ask themselves about American greatness. Do we need to make America great again? Isn’t it still great? Was it ever great at all?
Everyone has their own feelings on the subject. From Colin Kaepernick to President Barack Obama himself, everybody has their own idea of what makes America great.
Though some say America is greater now, many people, especially the oppressed, argue that America’s past is nowhere near as great as it is made out to be.
It is important to not let nostalgia get the best of us when there doesn’t exist a historical era that was entirely exceptional for everyone.
Many think of Word War II when thinking of the “greatest” economic time in our nation’s history. However, though it appears to be when we were the most successful, many seem to forget that over 60 million people died in the war. No amount of economic success can overshadow a number that devastating.
There are many similar times in our history. People overlook the terrible things that happened in periods of time and focus on the greater, simpler-looking things.
Sharing milkshakes on a date in the ’50s, music in the ’60s to the ’70s and entertainment in the ’80s are all examples of things people glorify about past decades. However, from civil rights to the AIDS crisis, there is always something that makes times harder for certain groups of people.
The luxuries of past decades are not exclusive to those decades. If you think America is no longer great because pop culture changed, you must realize that you still have all of those things at your fingertips.
The question of American greatness runs deeper than changes in pop culture.
No matter someone’s political ideologies, there’s always something in the country that needs to be changed. And no matter what period of history we talk about, there is always something that will eventually do just that.
The greatest thing about this country is that it changes even when people’s minds don’t. No matter what people think should stay the same, we move forward for the betterment of the nation as a whole.
America is a different experience for everyone — no matter the opinion, it is somewhat correct. America is not perfect, and it will never be 100 percent great, but addressing these issues is what sets the United States apart from other countries.
The idea of American exceptionalism only exists because every person is free to decide for themselves whether or not we are truly great.
No matter how great America was, is or will ever be, it is up to us to decide. American exceptionalism only exists as we imagine it. It has always been about the hopes and dreams of we the people, no matter who is included in “we” at the time.
The greatness of America is not something tangible, but rather a piece of hope that keeps the country moving forward, trying to improve itself in any way it can.
Lynne Bunch is an 18-year-old mass communication freshman from Terrytown, Louisiana.