As we continue to reflect on this most-recent Independence Day, America’s politicians on both sides of the political aisle ought to be thinking more about this country as a whole — what is best for this wonderful free land — than mostly about their party, their party’s agenda or the friction they might harbor and encourage against those with whom they disagree.
But can they muster such a spirit of patriotism — what in a different time might seem inevitable? This year, probably not, amid the rampant divisiveness that haunts the halls of their governmental responsibilities.
For America’s citizens, then, this could be one of the most consequential years — election year or otherwise — of their lifetimes, although many don’t know it yet or are reluctant to admit it. And, unfortunately, it seems unlikely now that there will be political peace, regardless of who ends up being Nov. 5’s victorious presidential candidate.
The nation’s founders, if they today were able to watch happenings in Washington, D.C, even for 24 hours, would most likely express disgust and no-confidence over what America-based divisiveness they would witness. A day cannot go by without nauseating rhetoric over how someone in or around power or powerful interests is hellbent on destroying America.
Back in the 1700s, when America was in its formative years, the founding fathers were not unanimous in their opinions regarding all aspects of the new nation’s foundation.
But while they were able to debate and disagree in seeking the important compromises that helped shape the America in which we live today, it is reasonable to wonder whether the same could be accomplished within today’s nasty, disrespectful political environment.
Even something as basic as the Declaration of Independence, whose adoption on July 4, 1776, Americans celebrate today.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident,” the Declaration says, “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.”
Unfortunately, it has become increasingly concerning, especially during these early years of the 21st century, whether those words are being accorded the respect of which they are deserving.
Which spawns this important thought and subsequent question:
Forty-eight years ago, on July 4, 1976, amid pride and national loyalty, America celebrated its bicentennial. Less than half a century later, there are Americans today wondering whether this country still will be intact to celebrate its 300th anniversary of existence.
Think back to when you were in elementary school just beginning to learn about what the United States was all about, and about the famous founders whose will and determination brought America to life.
Most of us felt safe — and proud of the country in which we lived. Most parents helped reinforce those feelings, if only with the sparklers their children were allowed to wave upon the arrival of nightfall, or with their traditional July 4 picnics.
Think about it: Why does America seem so different to so many people on this Independence Day?