A Shared Occasion

by Ruth A. Sheets

America’s 236^th birthday has just passed.  It was a good chance to reflect on where we have been as a nation and where we are going.  Communities all over the country celebrated with parades, festivals, concerts, fireworks displays, naturalization ceremonies, and more.  We wore our flag on our sleeves and waved it in our hands.  We proudly let our patriotism show.  We need to do this now and then to remind ourselves that just as the founders 236 years ago were in it together, we are too.

I had the pleasure of walking in the bicentennial parade in my hometown, Norristown, PA.  Groups as diverse as a martial arts club, the sherriff’s department, the local volunteer fire companies, high school and community marching bands, a veterans’ motor cycle club, local churches and historical reenactors and performers participated. 

I cannot believe that everyone in the parade or watching along the route shared the same world view.  What we did share was a belief in America, and the idea of what America can be.  For those hours, we were one community in all its diversity.

People all over the country and even in many other parts of the world experienced the same connectedness.  Truly awesome!  Over 300 million people live in the United States and contribute to our history and will help to shape our future.  For at least one day, we came together to say that America is important to us and that Woody Guthrie was right when he wrote “This Land was Made for You and Me.”

Just as people who love Christmas want the best parts of Christmas to last throughout the year, lovers of July Fourth want the good feelings, the patriotism, the connectedness to last all year.

How do we keep our July Fourth spirit infusing our daily political interactions?  How do we help everyone to understand that it is because of, not in spite of our diversity that we have achieved greatness. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. It took little or no money for Americans all over the country to walk in or watch parades, to watch fireworks, to wish their neighbors a happy Fourth.  This way, Americans of all income classes can mingle and share the experience.  Community taxes and donations make this possible. 

2. Remember that the people we elect, our fellow Americans, should be selected for their ability to bring people together to share the struggle as well as the triumphs of our success, not for their financial prowess. 

3. Remember that our future is at least as important as our past.  We must be laying the foundation for a shared positive future every day through the way we provide for our Nation’s people, particularly our children.  Even in this venture, we should find ways to share the burden, each giving according to their ability to contribute, for the common good.

4. Don’t forget that those who demand the reciting of the “Pledge of Allegience” most loudly, on Independence Day and always, are often the ones most likely to forget that the last seven words are “indivisible with liberty and justice for ALL.”  They see themselves as America’s chosen.  They’re not.  They are us, neither better nor worse, nor more or less patriotic, just different.  Every American needs to continue to kindly remind our fellow citizens of this.

5. Remember that the founders who put on the line their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, were a diverse group that was trying to do something that had not been done before.  They learned to work together, to compromise, and to find a way through the storms of seven more years of war.  Maybe we need to put ourselves on the line as they did and be willing to pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to make things better for all Americans.

6. None of the “patriotic” songs we sing this holiday say that being wealthy or powerful makes a person better or more important than any other American.  Keep that in mind when singing those songs we share.

7. Americans are very competitive and like to be “Number one.”  That can be applied to our nation as well.  If a team will truly be “Number One,” the whole team must work together.  That is not happening in the United States these days.  The better off members of the team scorn the less well off and accuse them of being dead weight and other unpleasant and even harmful names.  This does not inspire any of the members to achieve, or even participate in the game.  We need some well-trained cheerleaders to get our team to work together.  We’ll have a chance to vote for some of those cheerleaders this November, so show up at the polls.

I hope your Independence Day celebration was really special filled with family, community, and a national pride that will lead to accepting more responsibility for helping to enhance life and prospects for all Americans.  Keep the spirit alive this time around.