For centuries in America, the ideal of the country as a prominent example of liberty and prosperity has been encapsulated in the country's self-given title "a city upon a hill." This name's origin lies in Governor John Winthrop's 1630 sermon "A Modell of Christian Charity," in which he shares his vision of making the Massachusetts Bay colony the world's pinnacle of godliness, peace, and fraternity. Since then it has evolved into a sentiment applied to the United States as a whole, which is that it is, as President Reagan said, "a tall proud city" that is "teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace [and] humming with commerce and creativity." Today I believe that, for the most part, this country has lived up to these ideals.
