[note to self, I don’t typically get involved in politics, but perhaps I have enough DNA akin to public affairs that I must apologize if this sounds like some violin chirping cricket. But since I was thinking anyway, I thought I’d briefly write it all down.]

I was thinking about this American race to the White House. It has become quite the embarrassment and will be our black eye in this generation's history. Sadly, the train is in full gear without the conductor at watch.

I was thinking about what We, Americans care about, coddle, protect - at least from a historical perspective. It’s a semi-plausible perspective from this independent American.

When did we stop living bravely? Not as a bully or blind luck, but courageous, gallant, lionhearted? Ready to endure some pain for the good of We, Americans.

We, Americans have a deep passion for freedom. Political, religious, economic-- all inclusive high-stakes risks. Pilgrims to civil rights and tons of freedoms in between and after. We are programmed to feel freedom.

We, Americans have an unfiltered desire for higher education. Tightly coupled with freedom and the open trails it became up to us as individuals to fashion our own identity and place in this America. Education has been one major player for us to make of ourselves whatever we wish. Again binding education to freedom.

We, Americans have this tremendous faith in the value of popular government. Democracy, Republicanism, whatever you tag it, we strongly believe in the right of people to rule themselves. We may not agree on issues across the table, but we have never fought amongst ourselves that we should become a monarchy or that we should have a dictator. Of the people, by the people and for the people is at the heart of each of us.

We, Americans like to experiment. We like to invent. We like shiny new things. We have this forward looking perspective. Coming into our new continent with new rules we looked towards the untried and the pure adventure of discovery. We, Americans historically don’t feel constrained by the habits of other people or locked down traditions.

We, Americans have a pretense of exceptionalism. We are like no other country. We are a city on a hill. We created the first large scale democratic republic in history and made it work while other nations were busy butchering each other. We allowed religious tolerance. We opened up our political and economic systems to anyone with drive, brains and talent.

In this openness to all things new, this democratic governing, and a willingness to learn, yet demanding of freedoms that We, Americans assembled MASSES of immigrants. And we assimilated so graciously. Stop, rewind, repeat. Assimilated so graciously.

Have we degenerated into a smug nation? Not exceptionalism at all, but more self congratulatory or worse, do we believe ourselves to be better than others? Where is our graciousness now?

Where did our national mission go? Abraham Lincoln believed that our country was worth loving because it was a country of the free, a country committed to a certain set of ideas that were not built around a specific race or religion, but around a political document - our constitution. Ideals captured in our Declaration of Independence.

Somewhere, We, Americans are losing site of we. When did we stop living bravely?