July 4th. Independence Day

On July 4th, 1776, Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, elegantly drafted by Thomas Jefferson, informing Britain that the American colonies desired to rule themselves.

But, as Theodore Roosevelt stated in 1910, “while in name we had a Declaration of Independence in 1776, we gave the lie by our acts to the words of the Declaration of Independence until 1865; and words count for nothing except in so far as they represent acts.”

Once again, like in the 1850s, and 1960s, the very fabric of American society looks threadbare. Once again, like Germany and Japan before them, Russia and China are challenging America’s global leadership.

Domestically, inflation is raging; the homeless live on the streets and under bridges; homicide rates and mass shootings are up dramatically; Supreme Court justices are targets of assassination, and as a result of the court overturning Roe vs. Wade, members of pro-choice “Jane’s Revenge” feel compelled to call for a “Night of Rage,” acting like the second coming of “The Weather Underground”.

Looking more like a lawless jungle than a country of law and order, crowds burn down a police precinct and the police flee, loot stores and get away with it, while prosecutors seem more concerned about the rights of the accused than the rights of their victims.

In light of the above, on this 246th birthday of our nation, we have to ask ourselves, is the American experiment finally unraveling, or is this another example of “its always darkest before dawn?” Are Presidents Trump and Biden the best America can offer, or are we still capable of producing leaders like Abraham Lincoln, FDR, and John Kennedy?

I would like to answer these questions by posing other questions: are we the good guys or the bad guys? Is America’s founding based on slavery or freedom? Should we celebrate America’s founding year as 1776 or 1619? If not the Shining City on the Hill, why are people dying to get into America?

Once again, let us celebrate America’s independence, and strive to make it a better place.

— Sina.

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