My people have been in this country since the 17th century.
I can trace them back that far. As far as I can find out they made good Americans, but if they hadn’t, why should I be ashamed for them.
I am an individual, I can only be responsible for my actions, and I am far from ashamed.
But that general rule is not the point when one looks at the roots of America. Those 17th Century settlers carved wonderful communities out of a wilderness. Their achievements deserve admiration, not apology. And frankly, as one whose forebears came over in the 19th Century, I personally feel a deep sense of gratitude for what those 17th Century settlers achieved with their blood, sweat, toil & tears; and a debt that I will always try to repay by doing my small part to preserve the heritage of that settler culture that is so well and truly represented in our fundamental principles--the principles that are under constant attack today.
The America that we Conservatives seek to preserve, was well & truly Grounded On Experience & Reason, the experiences of those settlers & the reasoned conclusions drawn by the generation of Washington & Jefferson, based on those experiences.
William Flax