“Make America Great Again” is a phrase that’s no stranger to political campaigns. In fact, Ronald Reagan was quite fond of the catchy phrase. But it wasn’t until Donald Trump made it his official campaign slogan that it become so popular.
But what does “Make America Great Again” really mean, and how do we return to such a time when America was at its greatest?
Television legend Tom Brokaw believed America was at its best during the World War II era, where ordinary Americans were doing extraordinary things. Referred to as the “Greatest Generation,” they survived the Great Depression, joined the military, went to war, and when they returned home, became critical contributors to society. As Brokaw wrote, “When the war ended, more than twelve million men and women put their uniforms aside and returned to civilian life. They went back to work at their old jobs or started small businesses; they became big-city cops and firemen; they finished their degrees or enrolled in college for the first time.”
The Greatest Generation, according to Brokaw, also shared common values as a society: “duty, honor, country, personal responsibility, and the marriage vow ‘for better or for worse.’ And it was the last generation in which, broadly speaking, marriage was a commitment and divorce was not an option.”
Throughout history, there are countless moments that defined American greatness.
President John F. Kennedy in a 1962 speech laid out a vision, proclaiming that we would send a man to the moon in a giant rocket “made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented … and do all of this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out.” Kennedy concluded his speech by proclaiming that we as a country had to be “bold” if we planned on accomplishing this historic task.
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was another great moment. Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. in front of 250,000 people, his passionate and moving speech made civil rights history. Who will ever forget his powerful words in front of that powerful backdrop as he described his vision for a better America? "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream."
The Ronald Reagan era also represented snapshots of American greatness and when America was at its best. And no moment better defined that than his 1987 speech at Brandenburg Gate, when he boldly declared, “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
Sept. 11, 2001 represented another moment in American greatness and when America was at its best. As terrorists hijacked commercial airliners midair, brave passengers banded together, said prayers, called family members to say, “I love you,” and then rushed the cockpit to save more lives. And on the ground in New York City and in Washington, D.C., firefighters, police officers, emergency personnel, and everyday Americans ran into burning buildings, risking their own lives to save others.
President George W. Bush’s bullhorn speech at Ground Zero on Sept. 14, 2001 represented another moment in American greatness. Standing atop a still smoldering mound of rubble, the informal address was meant to thank rescue workers and tell them that America was praying for them. But when someone in the crowd shouted that they couldn’t hear the president, he turned towards them and declared in one of the finest unscripted moments in American history, “I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people – and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!”
And just like that, America had its marching orders. An attack on one was an attack on all – and we would not rest until everyone involved was held responsible. And as the president would say several days later, “Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies – justice will be done.”
"Make America Great Again" is certainly a catchy phrase, but it’s also a reminder that our best days are not behind us, but ahead of us. America is at its greatest when ordinary people are doing extraordinary things.
Thanks to the “Greatest Generation,” we are standing atop the shoulders of giants. But it's up to us to become the “next greatest generation.”
As we’ve seen throughout history, “greatness” requires boldness, courage, and vision. If we can do all those things, then we can certainly Make America Great Again.
Mark Vargas (@MarkAVargas) is a tech entrepreneur, healthcare adviser, and contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog. He is also president of Licentiam.
If you would like to write an op-ed for the Washington Examiner, please read our guidelines on submissions here.
