The Day After Declaration

Yesterday, we celebrated Independence Day. This writer still has all his fingers. So, in that sense, it was a success. I’m technically writing this while still out of town on vacation with my family. The Fourth of July reminds us that as a fledgling country, we first had to declare our freedom and then go out and fight like Hell. Just because our founding fathers made that declaration so many Julys ago didn’t mean a thing without blood and determination.

When the ink was still drying, we were up to the horse’s bridle in blood. Our liberation from England wasn’t a guarantee. We were fighting for our lives. Had it gone differently, I may not have the freedom to write what I’m writing today. The war raged on for several more years after their declaration. That’s worth remembering. The day after the Fourth of July was the first day of a long fight. Had we not won the war, the founders would have signed their death warrants with that document.

We find ourselves divided and embroiled in partisan politics these days. This isn’t new. Many people were still loyal to the king of England and considered our Declaration of Independence treason when it was first penned. After my first day of vacation, the presidential debates played in the living room of our rented house. It was sad to see how far we’ve come as a country. These two men are the best America has to offer? This isn’t a political statement. I don’t care who your guy is. If we’re being honest, we’d admit they all suck. Your guy does as well. Yet, our country is worth fighting for.

Our way of life is a beacon to so many huddled masses who—for right or wrong—find themselves yearning to breathe free at our borders. However, on the one hand, that is troubling. On the other, it should be encouraging that so many still see America as a bastion of hope. We seemed to have lost sight of that in the last few years. Perhaps it’s time to make a new declaration to work together and be the country our ancestors fought to establish.

We aren’t a perfect country. We never were. There are many things we must atone for. At the very least, it seems we are trying to do the right things. It’s easy to focus on the negatives and much easier to let empathy turn our eyes away from those injustices. America used to stand for something. To many of us, Lady Liberty still inspires us to do better, to be better. She’s worth fighting for.

So, today, the day after the Fourth of July, I’m hopeful. I still believe in the dream of America, warts and all. I know we have our work cut out for us. Like we did so many years ago. I also know that Americans are fighters. I pray our leaders find the resolve to remember that it’s “for the people” and not just a platform to accumulate wealth off the backs of those same people. The tree of liberty has been watered by the blood of tyrants and patriots throughout our storied history. Now, it’s time to do the hard work of cultivating that sacred soil. We will course correct, and I believe we will heal the rifts that have formed. Time will tell.