244 years ago the founders of this
nation declared their freedom, setting us on the path to where we
find ourselves today. In the time since then we have done some
amazing things . . . and some terrible ones. The history of America
is checkered at best. But here's a radical idea: it doesn't matter.
None of it. Not the good and not the bad. We should no more be proud
of the accomplishments of our predecessors than we should be ashamed
of their failures. History is, at its best, a tool. We should learn
from it, replicate what works, discard what does not. Too often in
this country we cling to our past and glorify those who came before,
looking back on our history with rose colored glasses and patting
ourselves on the back for successes we had nothing to do with. Or
else we demand that those present today pay for the mistakes of their
ancestors, in a misguided attempt to somehow balance out the wrongs
they perpetrated. Worst of all, when we do these things, we fail to
be in the present moment, and we miss the opportunities that this
moment presents to us. I'm not saying we should ignore the past, I'm
simply saying that allowing it to dictate what we do now robs us of
our agency in the present, and often causes us to repeat the same
mistakes in the future. There is nothing wrong with having pride in
your heritage but that isn't who we are now. And now is where our
minds need to be.
As a father I did my best to raise my
son the best I could. It wasn't always easy. Part of being a parent
is being on the watch for negative patterns of behavior and doing
what you feel you must to correct them. At times I got angry,
especially when I felt he wasn't listening, and I did what I felt was
necessary to get his attention. That anger did not come from a place
of hate, it came from a place of love, because I wanted him to be the
best person he could be, and I feared what might become of him
if I failed to communicate what I thought he needed to hear. That's why, when I look out at all the
people of this country marching in the streets, refusing to be
ignored, displaying their anger, I understand. They are accused of
hating this country, of wanting to destroy it, to tear it down, but
their accusers are wrong. They love this country and they are
outraged at what has become of it. Because they want their country to
be better, to be worthy of the ideals upon which it was founded, and
they will not stand idly by while lip service patriots tell them
“love it or leave it”. They are the true Patriots, defending the
honor and integrity of the nation they call home, even as those who
have “sworn to protect” attack them for it. And if they are
violent it is only because the true enemies of this nation have shown
that they will listen to nothing else.
So, as we celebrate the day we declared
our independence, it behooves us to take a moment and remember what
we are really celebrating: a nation that was founded, however
imperfectly, on the ideals of freedom, justice, and equality for
every one us, without exception. Our founders may not have truly
believed in those ideals but that just means that we must learn from
their mistakes and strive to be better. We must be honest with
ourselves about who and what we are, how we got here, and what needs
to be done now. We must remind ourselves that patriotism is not
turning a blind eye to the failings of our nation but rather turning
to face them, accept them, and demand that we change them. To do
anything less than that is to condemn our home to the ash heap of
history.
Have a safe and happy Independence Day.
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