Today we are celebrating the 240th
Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in communities all
across our country.
I saw a video on Facebook today that
showed John Wayne hosting a rendition of God Bless America, sung by a
collection of the day’s most well-known stars, dressed to represent the major groups
of people from America’s history; from the Indians and Pilgrims at the first
Thanksgiving, to the Founding Fathers, to the soldiers who fought in the
Revolutionary War, to the freed slaves, to the western settlers, cowboys and
shopkeepers across all 50 states. America
has always been a melting pot of people with diverse backgrounds and
beliefs. But in difficult times, we have
always found the path to unity.
John Wayne opens the video by
encouraging all of us to recite on the Fourth of July, “This is my country and
I’m going to do something good for it.” That’s not too unlike the urging by John F.
Kennedy in his inaugural address, that we should “Ask not what your country can
do for you … what you can do for your
country”.
The common thought here is, it was
not just the words of the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence
that we need to celebrate today. Wasn’t
it the selfless sacrifice of these leaders, who committed “their honor, wealth
and their very lives” to bringing these words to life in an Independent America? They committed to this sacrifice in the
belief, the faith, that it would lead to the freedom they sought, a freedom
they sought not just for themselves but for all the citizens of America.
Also on national holidays like
today, our thoughts often are focused on the sacrifices and service of those in
the military who are far away from home and loved ones, standing watch to
ensure our freedom and our national security.
Again, it is the sacrifice and service to their fellow citizens that
earns them the gratitude that nearly every American rightly shares and often
expresses.
So here's a thought on one
action we could choose to do that would be good for our country, in following
John Wayne’s and John F. Kennedy’s words.
In this election year,
let's honor the sacrifices and service of others that have secured our freedom
for the past 240 years in actions, not just by saying "thank you for your
service" ... that's far too easy.
Let's try to mirror their ability to focus on doing their jobs and serving
their countrymen in both parties, all regions, all ages, races, creeds,
beliefs, genders, economic levels and sexual orientations, as we discuss the
best ways to help our country address our problems with respect for differences
and unity of purpose.
Let's commit to work together to
address our challenges and problems by listening to, respecting and working
creatively to address the needs and concerns of Americans on both sides of the
ideological divide. The last year of the primary campaign results have clearly
indicated that there is a large disconnection between the actions of our
current leaders in both parties and the needs and concerns of a large segment
of voters. In all honesty, the
leadership in neither political party has done a good job of serving the needs
of the country, of all Americans. And as
for sacrificing personally for the benefits of others … that unfortunately
seems to be a characteristic that our leaders, and too many Americans expect those in the military
and our first responders to exhibit, but are not willing to practice much
themselves.
I believe a case
could be objectively made that rigid ideologies and partisanship are major
barriers to working together for effective solutions to our problems. How did we lose our respect for the beliefs
and concerns of other Americans, and replace it with the belief that our ideas
and ONLY our ideas are the best ideas for America? Indeed, both sides often resort to claiming
the title of “true American” or “American patriot” only for those who share
their beliefs about how to best address our major problems. This is not just unfortunate; I believe it is
dangerous to our national unity, our security, and our strength as a country … perhaps
the greatest danger we’ve faced our country has faced in more than 150 years.
The challenge for this generation is
to renew our own commitment to sacrifice and service for the good of the
country and our fellow citizens. We each
need to commit to working to respect and understand the beliefs, needs and
concerns of those who look and think differently that we do, and to develop
"Win-Win" solutions that can accommodate both our and their
concerns. Without such an approach, we
may continue to experience only "Win-Lose" or sometimes
"Lose-Lose" approaches.
On this July 4th, let us
each strive to again be a country where we successfully resolve differences for
the common good of the country, as the 56 signers of the Declaration of
Independence did 240 years ago on this date, Let’s not just honor their words,
let’s by our actions begin to also honor their service and sacrifices that have
provided the freedoms we enjoy and celebrate together, today.
Here’s the link to that John Wayne
video, hoping that it may help inspire this new commitment in each of us: https://www.facebook.com/thisblewmymind/videos/623005504464850/. As John Wayne
said, “It just might work. But we’ll
never know unless we give it a fair try.”
Happy Birthday, Americans all!
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