What the 4th is About, Really
The 4th of July was not actually a ceremonious date in our history. The actual signing of the Declaration of Independence wasn’t completed until mid-August. On July 2nd, the press reported that we had declared our independence, and on July 4th, the Continental Congress approved the text of the Declaration, after making nearly 100 changes to the flowery, thickly philosophical prose which Jefferson had been soaking up and regurgitating from great philosophers.
As we celebrate today with cook-outs and fireworks, spare a thought for those colonists, who felt both ignored and oppressed by their ruler, who elected a congress to debate the proper course of action for dealing with the monarchy's trampling of their rights as a united front. They were forlorn, exhausted, angered and shaken and they did what would become the first American act: they came together to overcome. Without knowing they'd be declaring their independence they did what we have struggled to do since: they moved our colonies as one (hotly debated, often agitated) voice.
There are definitely things in our country that need changing. People are struggling, forlorn, angered, and confused, and many have lost any solace in the structural integrity of a system that was intended (however slapshod and flawed) to uphold the rights of a majority (the definition of which has changed greatly, and for good reason.)
To correct the egregious issues, we must come together. Agree to put aside the smallest differences and take responsible action for the good of all. Stand together in the room and Find What Unites Us. No matter how distasteful or aggravating or pointless the process may seem, no matter how disparate the vision.
That is really, truly, what July 4th, and what the United States, is all about. As Lincoln said, nearly 100 years later, "I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”
Enjoy your celebration of the day, and the relaxing and recovering tomorrow. Consider what your country could really do for you, and what you can do for your fellow countrymen. Find the common ground for the common good.
