America's mythology lies among its spaces. Sometimes it's the open sagebrush of the Great Basin of the west. Other times it's the lush and forested Shenandoah Valley, part of the great inland valley that stretches from Canada to Georgia. Our shared heritage is of individual achievement and expansion across the land. From the founding of the colonies, through the industrial revolution and the great magnates of wealth, Americans celebrate that individual achievement. America also tends to ignore the sting of death, theft and hatred of "others" that helped make that wealth and progress possible. The myth of the individual in an open land is powerful. What powered that myh, however, was also the dedication to seek justice. To form a nation where the people decide what constitutes fairness and justice, and protects people from individuals who seek to impose their rule upon others. It's obvious that things often go two steps forward, then a step back,...
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