Two years ago this month, musician Johnny Cash passed away. I have been a fan of his music since as far back as I can remember, and one of my favorite songs is “Ragged Old Flag.” Its theme resonates throughout American history, but today it seems lost.

In “Ragged Old Flag,” Cash tells the story of Old Glory, where it came from, where it went, and how it waves on despite hard times.

In one verse he sings, “You see, we got a little hole in that flag there/ when Washington took it across the Delaware/ and It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it/ writing ‘Say Can You See.’”

In another, he sings, “She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville/ and she got cut again at Shiloh Hill/ There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg/ and the South wind blew hard on/ that ragged old flag.”

As Cash sings his song about tumultuous times in American history, it serves as a great reminder of the American spirit.

Still America faces tough challenges which will determine our future.

The Gulf Coast has been battered by two powerful hurricanes. Gas prices are unstable to say the least. Iraqi insurgents are severely testing military and civilian resilience.

Americans are practically going to war with each other over these issues as we simultaneously battle terrorists aching to kill us all, regardless of political affiliation.

There is never a time for disunity, especially now. Another Johnny Cash song, “The One on the Right is on the Left,” serves as a warning to those who let political fixations get in the way of working together.

In this song, Cash tells the story of a very talented folk group which should have made it big, but they let “political incompatibility” get in the way. One night, the group got in a huge brawl on stage which ended the band’s career.

This will be America if we don’t stop bickering and start compromising.

First, people have to get over the fact George W. Bush is the president.

I realize he is a very polarizing figure, but he isn’t going to be here in 3 years. He isn’t a dictator who can stay in power forever.

Secondly, radicalism on both sides cannot be tolerated because it serves no one. President Bush’s policies should be criticized from time to time, but calling him “Hitler” is just ignorant, petty and childish.

Lastly, learn to compromise on issues. Sure, it doesn’t make everyone completely happy, but when does anything make everyone happy?

Compromising takes the best of both sides to create an overall superior policy.

These steps can help build a stronger, more united America. After all, the last time I checked, the official name of this country was the United States of America.

I am very confident America will get past this period stronger than it was before. That is the central theme of “Ragged Old Flag.”

America beat the odds to gain Independence. It survived a brutal civil war.

It got through the challenging times of the Depression and WWII only to emerge as the world’s most powerful and prosperous state.

The only thing that can bring us down is ourselves. Johnny Cash said it better than I ever could:

“And [Old Glory’s] getting thread bare/ and she’s wearin’ thin/ but she’s in good shape for the shape she’s in/ ‘Cause she’s been through the fire before/ and I believe she can take a whole lot more.”

I do too.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.