{"id":5054,"date":"2026-07-04T20:09:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T20:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/04\/opinion-america-is-still-a-work-in-progress\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T20:09:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T20:09:51","slug":"opinion-america-is-still-a-work-in-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=5054","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: America is still a work in progress"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"slug-wrap\">\n<h4 class=\"slug-tag\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/opinion\/\"><br \/>\n            Opinion<br \/>\n            <\/a><br \/>\n        <\/h4>\n<h3 class=\"slug\">\n    <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"storytitle\">\n<h1>Opinion: America is still a work in progress<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORYTITLE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"story-meta\" class=\"story-meta has-byline\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one-inner\">\n<div class=\"dateblock\">\n    <time datetime=\"2026-07-04T08:00:00-04:00\"><br \/>\n            <span class=\"date\">July 4, 2026<\/span><span class=\"time\">8:00 AM ET<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/time>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"program-block\">\n                        Heard on             <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/programs\/weekend-edition-saturday\/nx-s1-5831795\/weekend-edition-saturday-for-july-4-2026\">Weekend Edition Saturday<\/a>\n         <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"PROGRAM-BLOCK\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE-INNER\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"story-meta__two\">\n<div id=\"storybyline\" class=\"storybyline-wrap linkLocation\">\n<div class=\"bucketwrap byline\">\n<div class=\"byline-container--block\">\n<div class=\"byline byline--block byline--has-link\" aria-label=\"Byline\">\n<div class=\"byline__photo\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/3874941\/scott-simon\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/540x540+0+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F90%2Fe3%2Fff57afab43a78d30d922ebc69c0c%2Fscott-simon.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Headshot of Scott Simon\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/540x540+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F90%2Fe3%2Fff57afab43a78d30d922ebc69c0c%2Fscott-simon.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\"><br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<p class=\"byline__name byline__name--block\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/3874941\/scott-simon\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n      Scott Simon<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP BYLINE\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__TWO\" -->\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"STORY-META\" CLASS=\"STORY-META HAS-BYLINE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"headlineaudio\" class=\"storylocation linkLocation\">\n<article id=\"resnx-s1-9836196\" class=\"bucketwrap resaudio\" aria-label=\"audio-module\">\n<div class=\"audio-module\">\n<h4 class=\"audio-module-title\">ESSAY 07-04-26<\/h4>\n<div class=\"audio-module-controls-wrap\" data-audio='{\"uid\":\"nx-s1-5871128:nx-s1-9836196\",\"available\":true,\"duration\":156,\"title\":\"ESSAY 07-04-26\",\"audioUrl\":\"https:\/\/ondemand.npr.org\/anon.npr-mp3\/npr\/wesat\/2026\/07\/20260704_wesat_opinion_america_is_still_a_work_in_progress.mp3?t=progseg&amp;e=nx-s1-5831795&amp;p=7&amp;seg=2&amp;d=156&amp;size=2505292&amp;sc=siteplayer\",\"storyUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/07\/04\/nx-s1-5871128\/opinion-america-is-still-a-work-in-progress\",\"slug\":\"Opinion\",\"program\":\"Weekend Edition Saturday\",\"affiliation\":\"\",\"song\":\"\",\"artist\":\"\",\"album\":\"\",\"track\":0,\"type\":\"segment\",\"subtype\":\"other\",\"skipSponsorship\":false,\"hasAdsWizz\":false,\"isStreamAudioType\":false,\"podcastEpisodeRawType\":\"\",\"podcastEpisodeDerivedPlusType\":\"\"}' data-audio-metrics=\"[]\">\n<div class=\"audio-module-controls audio-module-controls--no-js\">\n            <a class=\"audio-module-listen\" href=\"https:\/\/ondemand.npr.org\/anon.npr-mp3\/npr\/wesat\/2026\/07\/20260704_wesat_opinion_america_is_still_a_work_in_progress.mp3?t=progseg&amp;e=nx-s1-5831795&amp;p=7&amp;seg=2&amp;d=156&amp;size=2505292&amp;sc=siteplayer&amp;aw_0_1st.playerid=siteplayer\"><br \/>\n                <b class=\"audio-module-listen-inner\"><br \/>\n                    <b class=\"audio-module-listen-text\"><br \/>\n                        <b class=\"audio-module-cta\"><br \/>\n                            Listen<br \/>\n                        <\/b><br \/>\n                        <b class=\"audio-module-listen-duration\"><br \/>\n                            <span>\u00b7 <\/span><br \/>\n                            <span>2:36<\/span><br \/>\n                        <\/b><br \/>\n                    <\/b><br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n            <\/a><br \/>\n                <time class=\"audio-module-duration\" datetime=\"P2M,36S\"><br \/>\n                  <span class=\"audio-module-duration__initial-value\">2:36<\/span><br \/>\n                <\/time>\n        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"audio-module-tools\">\n            <a class=\"audio-tool audio-tool-transcript\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/transcripts\/nx-s1-5871128\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_click_transcript\",\"storyId\":\"nx-s1-5871128\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9836196\",\"title\":\"Opinion: America is still a work in progress\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><br \/>\n                <b class=\"audio-tool-label\">Transcript<\/b><br \/>\n            <\/a><br \/>\n        <button class=\"audio-module-tools-toggle\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_open_more_options\",\"storyId\":\"nx-s1-5871128\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9836196\",\"title\":\"Opinion: America is still a work in progress\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><br \/>\n            <b class=\"label\">Toggle more options<\/b><br \/>\n        <\/button><\/p>\n<ul class=\"audio-module-more-tools\">\n<li class=\"audio-tool audio-tool-download\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ondemand.npr.org\/anon.npr-mp3\/npr\/wesat\/2026\/07\/20260704_wesat_opinion_america_is_still_a_work_in_progress.mp3?t=progseg&amp;e=nx-s1-5831795&amp;p=7&amp;seg=2&amp;d=156&amp;size=2505292&amp;sc=siteplayer&amp;aw_0_1st.playerid=siteplayer\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_download\",\"storyId\":\"nx-s1-5871128\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9836196\",\"title\":\"Opinion: America is still a work in progress\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><b class=\"audio-tool-label\">Download<\/b><\/a>\n                <\/li>\n<li class=\"audio-tool audio-tool-embed\">\n                    <button data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/player\/embed\/nx-s1-5871128\/nx-s1-9836196\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_embed\",\"storyId\":\"nx-s1-5871128\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9836196\",\"title\":\"Opinion: America is still a work in progress\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><b class=\"button-inner\"><b class=\"audio-tool-label\">Embed<\/b><\/b><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"audio-embed-overlay\">\n                        <label class=\"embed-label\"><br \/>\n                            <b class=\"label\">Embed<\/b><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/label><br \/>\n                        <b class=\"embed-url embed-url-touch\"><br \/>\n                            <code><b class=\"punctuation\">&lt;<\/b>iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/player\/embed\/nx-s1-5871128\/nx-s1-9836196\" width=\"100%\" height=\"290\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"NPR embedded audio player\"&gt;<\/code><br \/>\n                        <\/b>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"audio-tool audio-tool-transcript\">\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/transcripts\/nx-s1-5871128\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_click_transcript\",\"storyId\":\"nx-s1-5871128\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9836196\",\"title\":\"Opinion: America is still a work in progress\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><br \/>\n                    <b class=\"audio-tool-label\">Transcript<\/b><br \/>\n                  <\/a>\n                <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"storytext\" class=\"storytext storylocation linkLocation\">\n<div id=\"resg-s1-131992\" class=\"bucketwrap image large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 4000;--source-height: 2667\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/4000x2667+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F16%2F6d%2Fb7e279764a8bbb257741a205883f%2Fap101128127467.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/4000x2667+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F16%2F6d%2Fb7e279764a8bbb257741a205883f%2Fap101128127467.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"The American flag.\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                The American flag.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    J. Scott Applewhite\/AP<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        J. Scott Applewhite\/AP<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>250 years in, and America is still a work in progress. Many American poets have written hymns and howls, declarations and outcries for this country that brims with so many people, and so many hopes, from all over the world. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I Hear America Singing,&#8221; Walt Whitman wrote, in the 1850s. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;the varied carols I hear,<br \/>Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,<br \/>The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,<br \/>\u2026The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,<br \/>Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Emma Lazarus&#8217;\u00a0&#8220;The New Colossus&#8221;\u00a0was inscribed on the Statue of Liberty&#8217;s pedestal in 1903. It&#8217;s a poem in praise of immigrants who were cast out from other lands and found safe harbor in America. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Give me your tired, your poor,&#8221; wrote Emma Lazarus.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230; your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,<br \/>The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.<br \/>Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,<br \/>I lift my lamp beside the golden door!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But Langston Hughes&#8217; 1949 poem,\u00a0&#8220;Freedom,&#8221; reminds us that many Black American families did not sail to America under the flame of a welcoming lamp, but were captive, shackled, to be sold into bondage. After the Emancipation Proclamation, many still endured segregation, bigotry and the constant threat of racist violence.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I tire so of hearing people say, let things take their course,&#8221; wrote Langston Hughes.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;Tomorrow\u00a0is another day.<\/em><br \/>I do not need my freedom when I&#8217;m dead.<br \/>I cannot live on tomorrow&#8217;s bread.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This week, as the U.S. Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship, you might read Shirley Geok-lin Lim&#8217;s 2017 poem,\u00a0&#8220;Learning to Love America,&#8221; about how immigrants make America their own as they start families here.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;\u2026because to have a son is to have a country,&#8221; she writes.<\/p>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"MID-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" CLASS=\"MID-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" ARIA-LABEL=\"RECOMMENDED STORIES\" --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;because my son will bury me here<br \/>because countries are in our blood and we bleed them&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The America great poets see is\u00a0imperfect, unsettled, and unfinished, even after 250 years. Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote in 1958 these words that still ring out: <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;I am waiting<br \/>for a rebirth of wonder<br \/>and I am waiting for someone<br \/>to really discover America&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/198681252\/independence-day\">Independence Day<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/260805300\/usa\">USA<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/198349069\/fourth-of-july\">Fourth of July<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"TAGS\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"share-tools share-tools--secondary\" aria-label=\"Share tools\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--facebook\"><button class=\"fbStorynx-s1-5871128\" data-share-facebook='{\"storyId\": \"nx-s1-5871128\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"facebook\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Facebook<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--flipboard\"><button class=\"storynx-s1-5871128\" data-share-flipboard='{\"storyId\": \"nx-s1-5871128\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"flipboard\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Flipboard<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--email\"><button class=\"share-tools__email-link\" data-story-id=\"nx-s1-5871128\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"email\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Email<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"SHARE-TOOLS SHARE-TOOLS-SECONDARY\" ARIA-LABEL=\"SHARE TOOLS\" --><br \/>\n<!-- END ID=\"NEWSLETTER-ACQUISITION-CALLOUT-DATA\" DATA-NEWSLETTER=\"{&amp;QUOT;NEWSLETTERID&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;NEWS&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;TITLE&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;UP FIRST&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;MARKETINGHEADER&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;SIGN UP FOR NPR&#039;S UP FIRST NEWSLETTER&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;FREQUENCY&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;EVERY DAY&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;SHORTDESCRIPTION&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;THE STORIES YOU NEED TO START YOUR DAY, HAND-PICKED FOR YOU EVERY WEEKDAY. 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