Liberal Vs. Conservative Notions of America

I read an essay or heard a radio program months ago about how liberals and conservatives view "America." These divergent understanding help explain a good deal of policy disputes and why each side gets exacerbated with one another. I wish I could find it because it articulated a point very well than I'm having trouble recalling exactly. I'll try here.

Liberals view "America" as a constant work-in-progress. A great experiment in human liberty and democracy and a place we are constantly and vigilantly trying to make better. In short, America is to be improved.

Conservatives view "America" as a beautiful work of art born out of struggle after struggle of generations of people preserving the traditions set forth by the founders. They view "America" as a special, unique place in the history of the world, the latest incarnation of the great civilizations of the past - Greece, Rome, and the Judeo-Christian world. In short, America is to be admired.

Obviously, both sides have a point. And reasonable people on both sides can see this. But one can understand how policy disputes devolve into angry shouting matches when each side privileges a particular view.

Recently, Obama proposed 9/11 become a day of service. This makes sense from the liberal perspective. 9/11 is a national tragedy and what better way to "serve" America than to a national day of service to improve the country for the better. A lot of liberals don't understand why this irks conservatives. It irks them because they don't think "America" is a work in progress in need of constructive criticism and improvement. Rather, 9/11 is a national tragedy and should be a moment of reflection and remembrance. A day we remember the brave firefighters and the heroes on Flight 93. A day that falls within a historical trend of dark/totalitarian ideologies attacking the bright/freedom-loving countries of the world. "Serving," is the not the appropriate response on 9/11 as it would not be appropriate behavior at a funeral.

You see it all around in all these disputes. Obama's big progressive plans for the country threaten conservatives because they feel as though he is undoing what their ancestors built. When conservatives try to valorize the past, liberals see them valorizing slavery and japanese internments and jim crow and all sort of horribly illiberal and unfree practices. Conservatives would argue no country is perfect and liberals are holding their ancestors to impossible standards...akin to a football player playing his ass off in a game, doing a great job overall, scoring the winning touchdown, being a great teammate and then coming home to a father who says he missed a block in the first quarter and should have scored three touchdowns.