Rev. Vicky's Message July 2, 2026

 have been sitting with my multitude of conflicting feelings about our nation, and these times, as we approach the 250th anniversary of our founding. I feel shame for our nation's current behavior in the world; yet I still love the United States of America. I feel sad, angry, disillusioned, and concerned; but I am also hopeful and determined. I'm pretty sure I am not alone in all of this.

This morning, I came across this blog post, The Secretary's Sitrep by the Honorable Patrick J. Murphy, and it helped remind and ground me in greater clarity and greater resolve, as we honor our nation's birthday. I share it today, with the hope it might do the same for you.

Murphy was a U.S. congressman from Pennsylvania after serving in the Iraq war, and then served as the 32nd Under Secretary of the Army 2011-2017 under President Obama. (Oh - and "sitrep' means "situation report"- I had to look it up.)

America Belongs to All of Us

By the Honorable Patrick J. Murphy

July 1,2026

"Patriotism has never meant pretending America is perfect. It has always meant believing the country is yours to improve.

"For much of American history, patriotism has functioned as a kind of common language. We’ve fought bitterly over politics and culture, but have generally agreed that the country itself was worth believing in. That is, until recently.

"According to Gallup only 58% of U.S. adults say they are proud to be American—the lowest level since Gallup began measuring the question. Among Gen Z, the number is just 41%.

"People have good reason to be disillusioned. Today’s young adults came of age amid the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a financial crisis, a housing market increasingly out of reach, soaring healthcare costs, rising student debt, an epidemic of gun violence, a global pandemic, and a brutal job market (I could keep going). According to Pew, public trust in government is hovering near historic lows.

"But patriotism has never meant pretending problems don’t exist. Nor has it required blind loyalty to those in power. It has meant ownership—the belief that the country is yours to improve, and ultimately yours to protect—even, or perhaps especially, when it falls short of its ideals. Your loyalty is to the country, not the people running it.

"Frederick Douglass understood this better than anyone. His speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" remains one of the most devastating indictments of America ever delivered. Yet Douglass later recruited Black men—including his own sons—to fight for the Union during the Civil War.

"I learned my own version of patriotism in uniform as well. In March of 2003, I deployed to Baghdad with the 82nd Airborne. I was 29 years old, and despite growing doubts about the war’s strategic logic, I still believed deeply in the institution I was serving. Many of us wrestled with questions about the war’s purpose and direction. While we didn’t always agree with the mission or the decisions being made by those above us, we served with honor because our obligation was larger than any one administration or political moment.

"I returned home from Iraq having lost 19 of my men in combat. The war was a strategic failure, but on the ground in Baghdad, I worked along-side Iraqis who risked everything for freedoms most Americans take for granted. Our interpreter Alyaa was the first person in her neighborhood to volunteer to work with American forces. Her cousin Shaimaa was later kidnapped and tortured for doing the same. They knew the risks and showed up anyway. Their courage deepened my own commitment to service and changed how I thought about my obligations to my country. If they were willing to risk everything for the future of Iraq, I had a responsibility to do the same.

"A year after returning home, I ran for Congress and in 2006 became the first Iraq War veteran elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. While on the Hill, I worked to help the country live up more fully to its ideals, co-authoring the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the post-9/11 GI Bill, the largest expansion of veterans’ educational benefits since World War II.

"My path from military service to public service was once a familiar American story. In the decades after World War II, roughly 80% of Congress had served in uniform. Today, that figure is about 18%.

"The civic pipeline that military service once provided cannot be fully rebuilt by the military alone. Only about 1% of Americans serve today. That number is not going back to World War II levels, nor should it. But the lesson of military service is not just about the institution itself. It’s about what happens when Americans are asked to show up for something larger than themselves. We can apply that lesson in our own communities. Much of what shapes our daily lives is not decided by some distant force in Washington. It is decided in school board meetings, zoning hearings, and town council meetings that most people never attend. These meetings are open to the public. Advocating for the changes you want to see often begins with simply showing up.(emphasis added)

"Most of the decisions that affect our daily lives are made far closer to home than we realize. Yet too many of us have convinced ourselves that we are powerless to influence them.

"We are not. (emphasis added)

"It’s easy to be disillusioned by a country that has failed so many of its citizens. But the answer is not disengagement or despair. We must be active participants in our democracy willing to take ownership of the outcome. The country you want exists in proportion to the work you put into building it. Take ownership of our problems and invest in their solutions.

"The American flag does not belong to a single party. It belongs to all of us. As America turns 250, this moment calls on us to rebuild the habits of citizenship that once taught us how to belong to a shared project. It’s only through showing up together for what we believe in and value most that we can make it better.

"The future of the republic depends on more than loving America. It depends on showing up for it– and one another. That is true love of country."

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I emphasized the above paragraph about "showing up" and "advocating" for our local communities – because, as I have shared many times – COPA has taught me the power we have to make a real difference in the our own lives and the lives of our neighbors and communities. We are not powerless, unless we give up. I am forever grateful for our spiritual community that never gives up. Together, we are the change we want to see in the world.

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On a side note. My son, Travis, entered Monterey Old Fisherman's Wharf "Dad's Favorite Story Father's Day Short Essay Contest" this year and won First Place! Here's his story:

"While he was a great storyteller, my father didn't talk about himself much. But there was a story he would proudly recount if the opportunity presented itself.

"It was July 14, 1995. Dad, Mom, Brother and I went to a Giants game at Candlestick Park. In the 3rd inning Mark Carreon fouled off a rocket our way. With the Carreon liner careening straight at us, my Dad leapt into fielding position. With no glove, and no real choice, he extended both hands and picked the screamer clean out of the air. The crowd went nuts. My brother and I jumped to our feet and then to him. My mom flashed a wry smile and a playful shake of the head. It was awesome.

"It was actually an exciting game. 21 runs on 27 hits. Three eventual Hall of Famers all hit home runs. But that night, my dad was the coolest dude in the ballpark. He passed away in 2007, I miss him every day. But the ball sits on a shelf in my office and every time I see it, I think about my Dad telling the story of the foul ball he caught with his bare hands."

Travis Elder

Monterey, CA

(I remember that day too. And Rory's hand was black and blue for days following. He wore it proudly!) 

Blessings,

Rev. Vicky