By Neal Lemery
Celebrating an anniversary of the founding of one’s country is cause for reflection, and, in these times, cautious and thoughtful contemplation. It seems like a time where we are spoiling for a fight with ourselves, and looking to disagree about most anything. Yet, Independence Day is a celebration of our commonalities, of the glue that holds our country together. It is a day to look for unity in spirit and deed.
I submit there are several aspects of American thought now needing our attention. On our Independence Day, we should be advancing ideas that are worth revisiting and re-examining. These ideas are not uniquely American, but they contribute to our sense of American identity and embodiment of the American spirit.
- Vote with your feet. We are primarily a nation of immigrants, though we will debate that in our politics and rhetoric. We seem easily stirred to literally move about the country in search of greener pastures, opportunities, and improving our lives. Loyalty to and identity for a neighborhood, town, county or state are often not highly valued. We’ll give voice to geographic roots, but most of us have moved a number of times in our lives. We give lip service to our geography, but we move anyway. And the best vacations involve going somewhere else. In retirement, many Americans aspire to be snowbirds, adding another home, and another cultural and geographic identity.
- Ability to better yourself. America is celebrated as the land of opportunity, and a new school, a better job, a different city call us to not only move on, but to include self-improvement and self-advancement in the check lists for change. We believe in education, ideally funded with our tax dollars and subsidized loans, as stepping stones to better lives for our ourselves and our kids. Our politics advocate a better life for our kids and grandkids. The American Dream is an established icon of Americanism.
- Have your own opinion. We are a mouthy and opinionated culture, quick to use our own social media and our own rhetoric as the Gospel Truth. We often don’t debate issues on the merits, but on the emotionalism of “I’m right, and you’re wrong.” Logic, reason, and fact checking are often ignored, in the interest of simply having the loudest voice in the room. The college debate team isn’t the most popular college sport, It is left on the sidelines of the muscle of the football field and basketball court. Elections aren’t decided on debate skills and logical trains of thought, but rather by louder voices and emotional manipulations. We reward the image massagers, not the logical scholarly public policy commentators.
If we were in another country on their national day, you’d likely find the same or similar list of their “unique” national attributes and characteristics. And an equal percentage of patriotic cheerleaders, boastful of who they are and where they are going. We Americans have boasting rights to a now rather long history of fierce patriotism and national pride, and a strong list of viable institutions that further our democratic spirit. We can be proud of that heritage, yet also recognize there is work to be done, that we need to mend and strengthen some cherished institutions.
Independence Day serves us as a reminder of where we have been and where we need to be headed.
