In the Bronx, July 4, 2022
The unanimous Declaration of me, When in the course of human events it is the fourth of July, it become necessary for me to acknowledge Independence Day in my blog. I know that this is a difficult time, and some find it difficult to celebrate America in light of recent events. I do and this is how I celebrate. First, I read the Declaration of Independence and suggest that My Gentle Readers do to. Every year different parts resonate but every year some parts do. This year it’s the centerpiece, the credo of the United States, the foundation of our ideals.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
I know that some of you read that and call it lies. They are not, they are ideals, America like every person and every group of people does not live up to its ideals. As the Constitution says the goal was to create a more perfect union, not a perfect one. We move in that direction, sometimes we take a step back, sometimes we take several steps back, but eventually we improve. Right in the credo we can see how the cause of Liberty has progressed. The founders could say that despite the fact that slavery was an integral part of the country. Some didn’t even seriously consider the issue of whether or not enslaved people were people. The use of Men (notice the capitalization) may not be as problematical as it sounds, as Men meant all humans before it meant male humans. Similarly, do you know what you call a male dog? A dog. Weirder a male wolf is also called a dog. But still, we would never use language like that today.
The Supreme Court has made a series of horrendous decisions that have lessened our freedom, put our lives at risk, and put the entire planet at risk. I am not glossing over those or calling them anything but an enormity, but here’s the thing. The Supreme Court is not America. The government is not America. Not even the people are America. America includes all of them plus the ideal. I support that America with my life, liberty, and sacred honor. That’s what I am celebrating. I’m celebrating that despite its ills we each have the right to protest when we think the laws and government are wrong. This is not the time to give up on America but to work harder to heal the country’s wounds.
Another of my traditions is to watch or at least listen to 1776. This year I’m listening but I watched one scene, the one that I have always identified with the most. I know from listening to my friends that like Adams you question, “Is anybody there? Does anybody care?”
What should we do, listen to Adams, the answer is “COMMITMENT!” That commitment is not always easy. It’s not always thrilling. There’s more drudgery than glory. There are no barricades to storm. We have to do something difficult, change the minds of people. That was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence. We need to be patriots. Don’t avoid the word. People embrace patriotism. When raising children or teaching adults do we tell them what miserable people they are for getting things wrong? No, we tell them that they are fully capable of doing better. I changed my profile picture on Facebook to me with a flag. Don’t make people decide between them telling them that they are great though once greater, and the only changes they need to make is undoing the changes made by progressives or hearing how terrible they are. Don’t let the right say we hate America, I at least don’t. I will not speak for others. But if you do, don’t be afraid to say it out of fear of what others will say. We don’t love America because it is perfect, but because it strives to be more perfect. Treat the country the way we, progressives, think people should be treated.
Now go read the Declaration, on the National Archives website.
I finished this while it was still the Fourth. Yay me.
Wise Madness 