Editorial: We can be that America again

By Brandi Makuski

Feb. 22, 1980, a good portion of America was watching what would become one of the greatest moments in American sports history.

The U.S. hockey team took on the seemingly unbeatable Soviet Union at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. In Wisconsin, the game aired on tape delay that evening, hours after the contest. We experienced every pass, every save and every goal as if we were there.

When the final buzzer sounded and the United States had stunned the Soviets, my mother cried. My father, overcome with emotion, looked at the television and declared, “We finally got those pinko bastards.”

We heard our neighbors cheering. We heard car horns honking in the street. It was a joint celebration.

If you lived through the Cold War, you understand. If you didn’t, I’d strongly urge you to ask an older family member about it. It wasn’t just a hockey game. It was a symbolic victory for freedom over communism (mutually exclusive states of being). It reminded Americans that we were capable of extraordinary things when we stood together.

That moment has stayed with me my entire life. The importance of that game has since been memorialized in countless documentaries, as well as the Disney film starring Kurt Russel, “Miracle.”

Then, this week, something somewhat similar happened.

After the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina (Hurtz-a-govia) to advance to the Round of 16 in the FIFA World Cup, something remarkable happened. Tens of thousands of Americans remained in the stadium, singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” at the top of their lungs. The players sang along. The coach sang along. News reels flooded social media and national news outlets of watch parties dissolving into joy and cheers as complete strangers embraced in celebration.

As I watched, I wasn’t thinking about soccer. I was thinking about America.

Not a political party. Not an election. Not social media. America.

An America that wasn’t perfect, but one that believed we had more in common than what divided us. An America that celebrated together. An America that loved its country without apology and understood that freedom wasn’t guaranteed—it had to be protected.

That’s the America I grew up in.

And that’s the America I’d like to see again.

I don’t miss the America of 1980. I miss the America where being a citizen meant something.

Every generation inherits freedom, but every generation is responsible for protecting it. Our Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to create a nation where citizens—not kings—would determine their own future. The freedoms they secured came at an extraordinary cost, and generations of Americans have fought and died to preserve them.

Those freedoms survive only if we uphold our end of the bargain.

That starts at home. Teach your children to love this country—not because America is perfect, but because every generation has the opportunity to make it better. Be involved in your community. Know your neighbors. Volunteer. Attend a city council meeting or a school board meeting. Take pride in where you live. Democracy isn’t something that happens every four years. It happens every day.

It also means being an informed citizen.

Don’t let a social media algorithm decide what you know about your community or your country. Too much of what fills our news feeds is designed to provoke outrage, not understanding. It rewards emotion over facts and division over dialogue.

Read beyond the headlines. Seek out credible sources. Subscribe to a local newspaper — I don’t care which one — and read it often. Local journalists sit through the meetings, read the public records and ask the difficult questions so citizens can make informed decisions. A free press isn’t just protected by the First Amendment because it benefits journalists. It’s protected because it benefits every American.

When Election Day arrives, don’t vote simply because there’s an “R” or a “D” next to someone’s name. Know who you’re voting for. Learn the issues. Examine the candidates’ records. Listen to different viewpoints. Think for yourself. That’s what responsible citizens do.

History has shown us what happens when people stop asking questions and stop seeking the truth. Around the world, authoritarian governments—whether rooted in communism, fascism or other forms of political extremism—have often weakened a free press before limiting other individual liberties. Liberty is rarely taken away overnight. More often, it disappears a little at a time because good people stop paying attention.

The Miracle on Ice wasn’t just about hockey.

And that stadium full of Americans singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” wasn’t just about soccer.

Both reminded us what it feels like to be united.

If we want that America to endure, nostalgia isn’t enough.

We have to earn it.

Our nation has a flawed history, but it’s the only one we’ve got. It’s our job to celebrate the good parts of that history and try not to duplicate the mistakes we’ve made along the way. That’s the whole point.

Love your family. Serve your community. Stay informed. Support the institutions that keep government accountable. Vote with knowledge instead of party labels. Teach the next generation that freedom is both a gift and a responsibility.

Freedom isn’t guaranteed. It’s entrusted to every generation. Now it’s our turn.