I confidently trust that the American people will prove themselves - Carl Schurz

Hello, I am Carl Schurz, a statesman, reformer, and proud advocate for the ideals of democracy and justice. Today, I’d like to discuss a statement I made that remains deeply relevant: “I confidently trust that the American people will prove themselves ... too wise not to detect the false pride or the dangerous ambitions or the selfish schemes which so often hide themselves under that deceptive cry of mock patriotism: 'Our country, right or wrong!' They will not fail to recognize that our dignity, our free institutions and the peace and welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be secure only as we cling to the watchword of true patriotism: 'Our country—when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right.'” When I spoke these words, America faced challenges from within—ambitions cloaked in patriotism, dangerous rhetoric used to justify wrongs in the name of national pride. I believed, then as now, that true patriotism requires more than blind loyalty. It demands vigilance, wisdom, and the courage to correct our course when we stray from our principles.