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What Are Our Common American Values?

Occam's Razor

Occam's Razor

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This is a poll with far too many possible answers to be accommodated by a list of ten. I will be taking suggestions and compiling a list of them within this thread and try to keep it up to date as much as possible.

As I add suggestions to the list, debate is encouraged over it's validity for being on the list.

Far too much effort and attention is given to what divides us, when the only thing that matters is what binds us as a free people... or should.

The framers and founders declared the basic foundations of common interest to be self evident.. life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Without splitting hairs or cynacism, lets explore these and rediscover the uniquely American interpretations of these self evident tenets that bind us all.
 
opportunity to advance ones self in the social structure

free public education for all

equal rights under the law

no rigid class structure giving unfair inherited advantage from generation to generation / making you own way as your own person

right to own private property

Freedoms balanced with responsibility

voting for our government officials

limited government and checks and balances in our government

respect for the rights of others

hard work and a decent days pay for that hard work
 
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haymarket said:
opportunity to advance ones self in the social structure

free public education for all

equal rights under the law
no rigid class structure giving unfair inherited advantage from generation to generation / making you own way as your own person

right to own private property

Freedoms balanced with responsibility

voting for our government officials

limited government and checks and balances in our government

respect for the rights of others
Click to expand...

Except for the 14th Amendment, of course.
 
There really is no single set of values common to all Americans... as this thread will shortly demonstrate.
 
Guy Incognito said:
There really is no single set of values common to all Americans... as this thread will shortly demonstrate.
Click to expand...
I think you're incorrect.

I think that the values are just so common place, that we no longer see them.
 
Awesome thread ...! I will just add something each day.

"Promoting social and economic justice"

"The right of every citizen to pursue life, liberty and happiness"

"Individual rights"

"Privacy"
 
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haymarket said:
opportunity to advance ones self in the social structure

free public education for all

equal rights under the law

no rigid class structure giving unfair inherited advantage from generation to generation / making you own way as your own person

right to own private property

Freedoms balanced with responsibility

voting for our government officials

limited government and checks and balances in our government

respect for the rights of others

hard work and a decent days pay for that hard work
Click to expand...

I especially liked the one in bold ... haymarket.

Oh on voting ... well one comment I would like to see that our government officials that we vote upon are those that rise as representatives of we the people and not the highest corporate bidder.

Elected officials are our public servants not vehicles strictly for corporate interests.

Sadly ... Justices Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Roberts, Alito overturned the McCain-Feingold law assuring that the that voting for a chosen representative by the people is a lost American value.

January 22 ... the day the music died.

.
 
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Guy Incognito said:
There really is no single set of values common to all Americans... as this thread will shortly demonstrate.
Click to expand...

I have to agree. The values that we consider making us common to all Americans, aren't very common. I think that the only one that I can think of right now, not in the entirity but in the majority, is that we always support the troops, not the per se, but always the troops.
 
Dion said:
I especially liked the one in bold ... haymarket.

Oh on voting ... well one comment I would like to see that our government offcial that we vote upon are those that rise as representatives of we the people and not the highest corporate bidder.

Elected officials are our public servants not vehicles strictly for corporate interests.
Click to expand...

As did I. There are no freedoms without your responsibility to them.
 
Guy Incognito said:
There really is no single set of values common to all Americans... as this thread will shortly demonstrate.
Click to expand...

This is the cynicism I referred to in the OP. We know this to be true by simple virtue of common tenets of all religions. We know this because we have a clear record of the millenia old struggle for individuals to be secure in their property, of self government, of success of merit, not privileged. These are basic and broad concepts, necessitated by the need to encompass many beliefs, not just one. It's not the path of belief that is at issue, it's the shared goal of that practice.

Sure, any value can be dissected to find minor differences in interpretation... it takes no cleverness to do so. The higher road is to allow enough freedom to all men to reach in their way to the lofty goals of a more perfect union.

Union, unity, foundational order, no matter how basic is preferred to the white noise of non-self critical finger pointing.

We must not fail to find unifying principles lest we forever remain divided and at the mercy of those that profit most from the laws made. That is the eventual outcome we find ourselves in. The only way to break this current is not to micro examine it, but to paint with the broad strokes of red white and blue, the common will of the people.
 
1) Democracy.
2) Rule of Law
3) Want lots of stuff.
 
Dion said:
I especially liked the one in bold ... haymarket.

Oh on voting ... well one comment I would like to see that our government officials that we vote upon are those that rise as representatives of we the people and not the highest corporate bidder.

Elected officials are our public servants not vehicles strictly for corporate interests.

Sadly ... Justices Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Roberts, Alito overturned the McCain-Feingold law assuring that the that voting for a chosen representative by the people is a lost American value.

January 22 ... the day the music died.

.
Click to expand...

At the risk of sidetracking my own thread...

There should be another option to the "Like" button... a Bullseye...

Okay... time to consolidate the list and see where we stand and what should be added.... or removed....
 
rathi said:
1) Democracy.
2) Rule of Law
3) Want lots of stuff.
Click to expand...

Quick note... to be included, "democracy" must be soundly supported. The founders were very clear... democracy is a dangerous form of government, what they gave us instead, based on study of history's past governments, was a representative government designed to protect the Bill of Rights against majority will. It's no trick to isolate a segment of the population, declare them to be without rights and take their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...
 
The list so far...

opportunity to advance ones self in the social structure

free public education for all

equal rights under the law

no rigid class structure giving unfair inherited advantage from generation to generation / making you own way as your own person

right to own private property

Freedoms balanced with responsibility

voting for our government officials

limited government and checks and balances in our government

respect for the rights of others

hard work and a decent days pay for that hard work

"Promoting social and economic justice"

"The right of every citizen to pursue life, liberty and happiness"

"Individual rights"

"Privacy"

Rule of Law

Want lots of stuff.

Suggestions for combining or consolidating some of these into more broad concepts is greatly encouraged. So is challenging the inclusion or omission of an item.




Contributors:
haymarket
Simon W. Moon
Dion
DashingAmerican
rathi
 
DashingAmerican said:
I have to agree. The values that we consider making us common to all Americans, aren't very common. I think that the only one that I can think of right now, not in the entirity but in the majority, is that we always support the troops, not the per se, but always the troops.
Click to expand...

that was supposed to say "not the war per se" but that's what I get for posting right when I wake up.
 
Just a comment. I don't like the word ‘common’. How about ‘shared’?
 
One shared value could be freedom of religion. We might agree on this one in government, but not in the private sector. It gets very interesting.
 
OhIsee.Then said:
One shared value could be freedom of religion. We might agree on this one in government, but not in the private sector. It gets very interesting.
Click to expand...

Exactly ... OhIsee.

Religious freedom and separation of church and state is a fundamental human right.
 
OhIsee.Then said:
Just a comment. I don't like the word ‘common’. How about ‘shared’?
Click to expand...

Curious... why not? The word was good enough for the founders, which is why it was chosen. But I would like to hear your argument. To me, common implies broad concepts, where shared would seem to paint with finite definition.

The list so far...

opportunity to advance ones self in the social structure

free public education for all

equal rights under the law

no rigid class structure giving unfair inherited advantage from generation to generation / making you own way as your own person

right to own private property

Freedoms balanced with responsibility

voting for our government officials

limited government and checks and balances in our government

respect for the rights of others

hard work and a decent days pay for that hard work

"Promoting social and economic justice"

"The right of every citizen to pursue life, liberty and happiness"

"Individual rights"

"Privacy"

Rule of Law

Want lots of stuff

freedom of religion

Suggestions for combining or consolidating some of these into more broad concepts is greatly encouraged. So is challenging the inclusion or omission of an item.




Contributors:
haymarket
Simon W. Moon
Dion
DashingAmerican
rathi
OhIsee.Then
 
Occam's Razor said:
Curious... why not? The word was good enough for the founders, which is why it was chosen. But I would like to hear your argument. To me, common implies broad concepts, where shared would seem to paint with finite definition.

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Click to expand...
Shared as in "used by multiple entities" wiki, I think, has a more precise meaning. Where ‘common’ has a bunch of meanings that you would not want used. And ‘common’ has Biblical meanings; which may have been the source of some of the founders word choice. I don’t think you are attempting to make that connection here.
 
Dion said:
Exactly ... OhIsee.

Religious freedom and separation of church and state is a fundamental human right.
Click to expand...
thx But, please tell us where you stand on religious freedom. In government only, or is it also really shared in the private sector?
 
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