As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution during a time of severe political division, what does it mean to be a good American?

A good place to start would be the revolutionary motto of “liberty, equality and fraternity.” Oops — wrong revolution! That was the motto of the French revolution, where passionate cries for brotherhood sent dozens of the revolutionary leaders to die on the guillotine and led to the dictator Napoleon drowning Europe in blood.

No, the American motto is: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

No calls for fraternity in our motto. Pursuit of happiness is different for every person; this is a motto of individualism. And, except for Aaron Burr killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel, the American revolution neither “ate its own” nor led to tyranny. Instead, there have been two and half centuries of alternating progress and regression; thank God, more of the former than the latter.

But a society focused on individual liberty and personal happiness faces two challenges.

First, how do we govern ourselves? Do we still believe the widely ridiculed claim of 1776 that ordinary men and women are capable not only of running their own lives but also of electing leaders who can competently decide complex political, economic and social issues for the entire country?

Second, we are not a homogeneous culture nor willing to have the government control every detail of our private lives like in the former Soviet Union. How should we act to maximize individual liberty and the pursuit of happiness in a country shared by 348 million persons who all have different interests and goals?

What voluntary actions by Americans will help us meet these two challenges?

Live the Bill of Rights — especially the First Amendment. Profess your religion. Openly speak, write or post your opinion on controversial issues. Assemble peaceably and petition the government for a redress of grievances. And, equally important, respect your fellow Americans’ right to profess, speak, write and/or peacefully assemble.

Always defer to school buses. Never tailgate a school bus and, if it can be done safely, help them change lanes or turn. Driving children to and from school is one of those important but difficult jobs that we should all try to make a little easier.

Judge people based solely on their individual character not on the color of their skin, country of origin, religion, political affiliations or family connections. If you are an immigrant, this means that you must abandon any traditional animosities from your previous home.

Respect all women. And go out of your way to help pregnant women and mothers with small children. They are literally our future.

If you are eligible, vote. Do your research on candidates and vote in every primary and general election for every office from local school board to president.

Every chance you get, serve on a jury. Yes, there are ways of avoiding jury duty and your family, friends, school and/or employer may encourage you to do so. Resist their persuasion. The right to a trial before a jury of your peers is one of the key foundations of our liberty.

Be a joiner. One of the strengths of America is our reliance on voluntary associations rather than the government to achieve our personal or social goals. Develop a network of family, friends, work colleagues, schoolmates, church, clubs, athletic groups, etc.

Do the following for your economic well being: 1. Try as hard as possible to graduate high school. 2. Try your best to work continuously, even at minimum wage jobs until you find something better. 3. Don’t have children until you get married and don’t get married until you are at least 21 years old.

Finally, follow the law. If you think that a law is unjust, persuade your fellow citizens to help you change this law. And if you must protest, do it nonviolently.

The American experiment in self-government is unique in the world. Whether it survives for another 250 years depends on the virtue of its people, on whether they strive to be good Americans. And watch out for school buses.

This is a contributed opinion column. Frank R. Gunter is a professor of economics at Lehigh University and a retired Marine colonel. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of either Lehigh University or the Marines. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication. Do you have a perspective to share? Learn more about how we handle guest opinion submissions at themorningcall.com/opinions.

https://www.mcall.com/2025/10/08/opinion-what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-good-american/