Do Americans have any morals? That’s a good question. Many people
insist that ideas about right and wrong are merely personal opinions.
Some voices, though, are calling Americans back to traditional moral
values. William J. Bennett, former U.S. Secretary of Education, edited
The
Book of Virtues
in 1993 to do just that. Bennett suggests that great moral stories can
build character. The success of Bennett’s book shows that many
Americans still believe in moral values. But what are they?
To begin with, moral values in America are like those in any culture.
In fact, many aspects of morality are universal. But the stories and
traditions that teach them are unique to each culture. Not only that,
but culture influences how people show these virtues.
One of the most basic moral values for Americans is honesty. The well-known
legend
about George Washington and the cherry tree teaches this value clearly.
Little George cut down his father’s favorite cherry tree while trying
out his new
hatchet. When his father asked him about it,
George said, “I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my hatchet.” Instead
of punishment, George received praise for telling the truth. Sometimes
American honesty–being open and direct–can offend people. But Americans
still believe that “honesty is the best policy.”
Another virtue Americans respect is
perseverance.
Remember Aesop's fable about the turtle and the rabbit that had a race?
The rabbit thought he could win easily, so he took a nap. But the
turtle finally won because he did not give up. Another story tells of a little train that had to climb a steep hill.
The hill was so steep that the little train had a hard time trying to
get over it. But the train just kept pulling, all the while saying, “I
think I can, I think I can.” At last, the train was over the top of the
hill. “I thought I could, I thought I could,”
chugged the happy little train.
Compassion may be the queen of American virtues. The story of “The
Good Samaritan”
from the Bible describes a man who showed compassion. On his way to a
certain city, a Samaritan man found a poor traveler lying on the road.
The traveler had been beaten and robbed. The kind Samaritan, instead of
just passing by, stopped to help this person in need.
Compassion can even turn into a positive cycle. In fall 1992, people in
Iowa sent truckloads of water to help Floridians hit by a hurricane.
The next summer, during the Midwest flooding, Florida returned the
favor. In less dramatic ways, millions of Americans are quietly passing
along the kindnesses shown to them.
In no way can this brief description cover all the moral values honored by Americans.
Courage, responsibility, loyalty,
gratitude
and many others could be discussed. In fact, Bennett's bestseller–over
800 pages–highlights just 10 virtues. Even Bennett admits that he has
only
scratched the surface. But no matter how long or
short the list, moral values are invaluable. They are the foundation of
American culture–and any culture.