A few days hence, Independence Day will be upon us. This commemorates the date that the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Two days prior, the Congress voted unanimously to separate from Great Britain, but the document had not yet been printed.
One would hope and expect that this occasion would summon
our better angels as we draw together to celebrate the miracle of the American
experiment, particularly as authoritarianism abroad has gained strength. Sadly, division and disunity have established a
firm foothold in our national psyche.
Even the very symbol or the United States – the Star-Spangled Banner –
has become a separating force. Recently,
an American flag was flying upside down at the home of a Supreme Court
justice. Legal? Yes.
Unifying and proper? No.
A looming presidential election – heretofore a unifying
exhibition of patriotism – has infected us with partisanship and anger.
How can we emerge from this labyrinth? There is hope. We faced a horrendous Civil War, the Great
Depression two World Wars, the debacle of Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement, a
pandemic and many other challenges, and we managed to get through them all and
reached higher ground.
We need much more light and much less heat. Let this year’s fireworks start the
illumination that we need and deserve.
John Adams
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