The American spirit is the heartbeat of our greatness. You’ll see it in the tenacity of farmworkers and the unique drive of dedicated craftsmen and trade workers. You’ll witness its nobility in the brave teams of first responders nationwide and the empathy and support of small-town communities that fuel the flame of American industry.

And you can bet it’ll be in full force this weekend. Millions of Americans will share memories with family and friends, firing up grills and watching fireworks grace the evening sky in the name of America’s 250th.

This nation of democratic prowess and compassionate virtue has not just survived 250 years. It continues to show immense potential, and its success is driven by the remarkable citizens living here.

I grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was there that I witnessed our American spirit firsthand. My neighbors were electricians, nurses, teachers, HVAC technicians and doctors, all working to ensure a better future for not just themselves but their community.

My immigrant parents came here believing in America, a nation brimming with confidence. Our country was on the move, bursting with energy, preeminent in science and industry. When I went to public school, I had baseball coaches who believed in me even though I couldn’t hit. I had teachers who told me that I could achieve anything I wanted in America.

I believed them.

This country, this spirit, has the power to imbue its citizens with a desire for greatness.

Today, America faces challenges, but I’ve met with hundreds of Americans on my journeys across the country, and each person I’ve talked to has maintained that spirit and drive to do better. Every American wants their country to thrive.

But the spirit can only take us so far. It needs a wave to ride on.

It’s time to look forward to the next 250 years. We must inject the bedrock of America with this great spirit that has carried us high above the status quo for one quarter of a millennium. We must prepare America for the groundbreaking progress that generations upon generations will bring to her. We must strengthen our democracy into a cohesive and multiracial one, where every American has dignity, independence and security.

Economic renewal should be our new national purpose. We need a 21st century Marshall Plan for middle-class and working-class Americans, mobilizing business, workers, universities and government to rebuild struggling communities and close our economic divide. We should create a technological revolution that is inclusive, sustainable and democratic, funding technological progress while protecting Americans from the harms it could bring.

From fixing a pothole on a local street corner to revitalizing the American manufacturing industry, we have the potential to channel our indomitable American spirit and wield it against every obstacle we face — as a country, united.

Let’s get started.

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ABOUT THE WRITER

Ro Khanna, a Democrat, is a congressman from California. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.

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