Freedom: A Goal Worth Yelling About

For the weary business traveler trudging through Chicago’s giant O’Hare airport on a crowded Friday afternoon, the prospect of a jampacked airliner and a cramped middle seat for four hours of dreariness doesn’t portend much pleasure.

Anyone who flies--even sporadically--is familiar with the crammed terminal walkways teeming with strange faces and the roar of indecipherable chatter mixed with public-address announcements blasting over the loudspeakers. Folks with blank stares shuffle past one another in the din searching for elusive departure gates.

A few days back, during my latest Chicago plane change, the routine took a different turn. It began when a young lady brushed by me carrying a blue backpack over a tan-colored pullover. Obviously, another college student heading for home or Europe. Then another followed--same outfit, same backpack, same sneakers. That’s common garb, so I thought it might just be coincidence.

Then a few more walked by, trailed by still others, all dressed identically. They were as different as any two dozen young women could be. Yet aside from their apparel, some things about them were the same: slender and lithe with a jaunty and determined mien.

I solved the mystery after finally spotting the small red, white and blue patch emblazoned on their gear, with the black and white checkerboard of a soccer ball overlaying the letters: “U.S.” There is only one U.S. women’s soccer team, and I had stumbled upon them as they were taking to the road for their next powerful victory in Women’s World Cup play.

Not unlike the adoring 10-year-old soccer girls that I had been reading about, I craned for a look at Mia Hamm, the best player in all of women’s soccer. Where was Julie Foudy, the Mission Viejo star who I surmise was on the opposing team 20 years ago that ended my career as an assistant AYSO coach?

Too late. They were gone, off for their next triumph. I scolded myself for not catching up to assure them that they are America’s Team for the next few days. And I hope to be able to tune in to watch a championship game next week in California’s Rose Bowl (certain to choke up as helplessly as every other American when the stadium starts rocking with the chant “USA! USA! USA!”).

Which brings me to this day--our national birthday and never a better time to divert our thoughts to such symbols of national unity. Cheering on those young women will not scrub away the grisly reality of Littleton or suspend the acrimony that marks so much of our American dialogue--nor should it. But it might stir up a little reflection on what great gifts we’ve been handed and how special is this land of storied independence and human possibility.

It’s a specialness that eludes the constraints of a particular definition and resists ease of illustration. But one story comes to mind that helps define the ideal of America.

John Brown, who detested slavery and put his body where his mouth was by leading the bloody raid on Harpers Ferry, was tried, convicted and sentenced to hang some 140 years ago. Seated next to his own coffin, he was driven by wagon to the gallows that would take his life. Watching the Virginia countryside pass by, and speaking to no one in particular, he said, “This is a beautiful country.”

And beautiful it is in its core--stirring the nation’s lyricists to find the words to match. “My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty. . . . From every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

So it was created, this sweet land of liberty, where freedom resonates from sea to shining sea. Ronald Reagan, as he so often did, found just the right words describing whence we came: “Can we doubt,” said Reagan, “that only a divine providence placed this land, this island of freedom, here as refuge for all those people in the world who yearn to breathe free?”

Enjoy our beautiful country today. Bring on the barbecues, softball games, soda pop and suntan lotion. Take a nap. Read a novel. Head for the ballpark, beaches and fairways. But also carve out a few minutes to remember why we can do all this, and if the spirit moves you these next few days, remember, the words are easy: “USA! USA! USA!”

Kenneth L. Khachigian is a veteran political strategist and former White House speech writer who practices law in Orange County. His column appears here every other week.