A 3-D 4-July

Ask my mom for verification- I am as patriotic as they come. Before I was actually allowed to march in my hometown July 4th parade as a Brownie Girl Scout, I used to escape her motherly (iron) grip, as she balanced 3 other toddler-Otto's, and I would scamper into the festivity, eager to join the celebration and wave my flag proudly.

I love my country and because of that love I think it's only fair to be honest with my country.

Traditionally, we celebrate July 4th to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Dutifully, we celebrate July 4th to honor all those who have served and who have died for our nation.
Patriotically, we celebrate July 4th to uphold the truths upon which we founded our own sovereign nation, as Jefferson so powerfully wrote:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

With respect for tradition, duty, and patriotism, I also feel our celebration is a bit dimensionally skewed; it is all very Past-tense. I want to suggest that (Responsibly), we start celebrating July 4th on a 3-D level: an appreciation for the (accurate) Past, an assessment of the Present, and a commitment to the Future.

The accurate Past would tell us that there is not much significance to placing the celebration on the 4th of July. On the actual day of July 4, only 9 of the 13 colonies voted in favor of the Declaration. The accurate past would also reveal that it has taken centuries to approach fulfillment of even just the Preamble.

Let us momentarily put our past in a different light, and make a comparison, (though I know it is imperfect!)

Consider that Ghana was the first African nation to declare independence from her colonial government in 1957 ; (all African nations - except Ethiopia and Liberia - were colonized after the 1884/5 'scramble for Africa.') Today, 51 years into independence, Ghana certainly bears burdens of poverty and disease, yet boasts a thriving economy, effective democratic government, and strong, peaceful leadership in West African and throughout the Continent.

Where was America 51 years into independence? In 1827, the Creek Indians lost all of their property to the federal government, and only a few years later all Native Americans east of the Mississippi were forcibly resettled to the west. Slavery raged on, not to be Constitutionally abolished until 1865, and women still had nearly 100 years to wait for suffrage. Dr. Thomas Cooper, then-President of South Carolina College, responded to the bitter bickering between the North and South over tariff laws on manufactured goods: ". . . what use is this unequal alliance by which the South has always been the loser and the North always the gainer? Is it worth our while to continue this union of States where the North demands to be our master?" Decades later, bloody Civil War would break out across the nation, leaving nearly 700,000 dead in the wake.

What I'm saying is America was from having her together 51 years into independence, and we should appreciate that it takes time to implement such a lofty mission statement as the Preamble. I venture to think we still have far to go, which requires us to celebrate July 4 from the second dimension, an assessment of the Present.

Unlike understanding the Past there is little researching required, just observe of what is around you on the walk to the parade floats or beneath the fireworks. Yes there is 'victory' to be claimed in that thousands of Americans, of all races and religions, sat together on Lincoln's lawn to behold the rockets' red glare. But what about the hundreds of homeless folks (and nearly a quarter of the homeless population in America are war veterans) asking for spare change from the torrent of tourists? Or what about the gay soldier in the brigade that just marched by whose very identity is illegal in his everyday life?

The morning after the fireworks, a Vietnam War vet sold me a morning paper - Street Sense - a special publication produced by a team of homeless folks. “I’m not homeless anymore though” he smiled at me in conversation, and attributed his success to the help of his Church. It was Church, not State, that gave him life, liberty, and the ability to pursue happiness: the social and medical services he needed, the employment assistance to help him find a job, and the encouragement that pushed him to write beautiful poetry. He handed my my copy, already creased and folded open to a specific page, and pointed a firm finger at a poem, tapping and saying "You're really going to like this one, I can tell."

Random Acts of Kindness by Foster B. Jarvis

"The people who reach out to those who are less fortunate or to those in need
of random acts of kindness, these are the true unsung heroes of our society.

The one who has enough courage and compassion to assist a complete stranger while passing him on life’s road.

The one who stops to assist one helplessly in need.

The one who shares his substance instead of devouring it all in greed."


From a man who has been to hell and back, and given little if any support or gratitude for his service, comes this clear message, pointed and purposeful.

Now, I know we've got to be competitive to stay in the game -- of trade, of defense, of power -- and I do not intend to sound naive. But I would be proud to be an American if America truly - as Foster says - shared her substance instead of devouring it all in greed. Sharing our substance (life, liberty, pursuit: LLP) might mean agreeing to new rules that would allow for a fair game to be played. It would not just mean amping up foreign aid from an abysmal .7% of our GDP, or just ending export subsidies and canceling debts that keep poor nations locked into their poverty. These are all essential moves but part of a greater endeavor for America as a world superpower. We claim to want to bring the 'light' of democracy around the globe. But are we ready and willing to provide and ensure that LLP comes with it as well? Because as of now, even those we help democratize are still suffering because we makes rules that don't allow them to play at all.

The last lens through which we must celebrate is our commitment to the Future, which requires using an understanding of the Past and Present to set goals and plans needed to reach them. This lens is especially important to those already engaged in promoting LLP across the world, particularly those who have ever claimed to want to "save the world."

A plea to you: Please stop saying that. You never will.

What does that term even mean? What does it accomplish besides, arguably, motivation? It's distracting and unclear. Instead of "saving the world", we must focus on making small changes to fulfill the mission of LLP for those with whom we interact.

For example, although slavery persisted 51 years into our independence, 1827 also brought Freedom's Journal, the first African-American owned and operated newspaper published in the United States. That was an integral piece of the puzzle to bringing LLP to African-Americans, and required vision, tireless labor, and tenacity. Instead of looking to the future with lofty goals of "saving" anything, figure out what you can tangibly contribute to a greater picture of LLP...and do it! As the great Edmund Burke put it, "No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little."

So rather than sell ourselves short, I think the best way to celebrate any holiday fully is to live in 3-D: to recognize the honest history that has thus followed from LLP, to work tirelessly to make the small changes we are capable of making on a small scale, and to envision (but do not expect to immediately see) change on a large scale.

Whether or not July 4 is an arbitrary date, our nation indeed deserves a celebration, and a deliberate opportunity for us to take a closer look into that reflecting pool, a deeper look into the shimmering marble walls of the Vietnam memorial, and to see ourselves for what we are.

And what we are capable of becoming.