America 250: We can do better, and we must.

The 250th anniversary of our nation's founding should be a monumental occasion.

It should have been a time of healing for a nation that's become deeply divided by its differences with celebrations from coast to coast. Family fairs. Dazzling spectacles. Inspiring events. And patriotic speeches.

We could have recalled our history, the struggles our country overcame, and the progress that was made.

The fight for independence.
The fight to hold the union together.
The fight against tyranny.
The depression and the Great Recession.
The Civil Rights Movement and women's suffrage.
The Industrial Revolution and the race to the moon.

There should be pride in the fact that not only did America bring democracy to the modern world, but it also brought the lightbulb, telegraph, and telephone.

We ushered in the information age with the microchip, personal computer, internet, and GPS. And dazzled the world with blockbuster motion pictures.

All of it is a reminder that anything is possible when we challenge ourselves to do better. When we dare to dream big.

That America’s 250th birthday did not bring about any of those things should be a sobering realization that we've found ourselves on the wrong track.

We've become complacent. We switched from fighting injustice to fighting each other. We stopped innovating, evolving, and maturing, choosing instead to cling to the remnants of our past, afraid to discover what lies ahead.

We can do better, and we must. We must challenge ourselves to move beyond the status quo that has failed too many while funneling power and wealth into the hands of only the select few.

Our Founding Fathers declared that all men were created equal. That life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were unalienable rights.

As technology advances faster than ever before, let us renew our focus on humanity. Let us strive to be a nation that guarantees everyone the opportunity to get ahead while leaving no one behind.

We are still a young nation. America’s best days are not behind us. They have yet to come. It is up to us to usher in the next era of American greatness, and it begins at the ballot box.