A Perfect
Union
“Where
you see wrong or inequality or injustice speak out, because this is
your country. This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it
on.”
Thurgood
Marshall
Happy Fourth of
July—Independence Day, 2018. There is much right now that I am not
proud of about America, but there is more that I am. One thing the
world should know is that the American people are, for the most part,
compassionate and generous folks. There is, in every country, a
spectrum of beliefs, customs, and ideologies. We are no different; we
are just as subject to fear and prejudice, tribalism and nationalism
as any other country. We are now engaged in a civil war of words and
accusations hurled at one another on the streets, in the halls of
government, and on social media. I am glad to see protest and I
honestly believe—being an optimist and all—that this current
period has allowed us to get an up-close and personal look at our
shadow side, our dark heart, so that we can be more realistic about
who we are and what we're up to.
Mark Twain wrote,
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your
government when it deserves it.” When we were crippled by the
Great Depression, we elected a man to the Presidency who was
literally crippled by polio. Now, when we need to take a look at our
cruel and unjust practices, our institutionalized racism, we have
elected a man who mirrors that for us. Now, we can't ignore it; we
can't pretend it doesn't exist. It's in our faces every single day.
And, that's not a bad thing—it's the way it will be resolved. The
process is painful. Like debriding a burn, we have to scrape off the
scab daily until we get to healthy tissue. We're long overdue for healing, and we will no doubt have a scar.
I love this country, but
I'm not blind to its faults. I do not condemn it, but I want it to
become what it perceives itself to be—the land of the free, and the
home of the brave—for ALL its people, regardless of race, creed or
sexual orientation, as all our non-discrimination policies state.
There is great soul here because of that openness and diversity. Great
soul, and great energy. We have a creative and innovative spirit. We
have concern for and, at the same time, disregard for the rest of the
world. We don't connect the dots between our casual behavior and the
impact it has on our planet. And, we don't do that because it's
inconvenient to live resourcefully and we are environmentally lazy.
We have to do better, and we can do better. When we stop fighting
each other, and pull together instead, we can work toward “a more
perfect union” for all of God's children.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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