This freedom thing
It is a beautiful July 4th as I write this, a good day for friends, family and reflection. Like many colonial holidays, the 4th of July is a time of some ambivalence among American Indians and other communities of color. While all of us are committed to the principles of liberty and freedom for all, we know from experience that such promises are often lies unworthy of the ink it takes to write them.
The Declaration of Independence speaks of “all men” being created equal, and “endowed by their Creator” with certain inalienable rights. This was on
July 4th, 1776. But it would take another nine decades, and a very bloody war, before there was a constitutional amendment guaranteeing those rights to black men.
It would be another hundred years, and countless lynchings later, before black men would be able to exercise those rights with any kind of consistency.
And American Indians? Well, that is another story altogether. Perhaps the “all men” line in the declaration should have included an asterisk and a couple of columns of fine print.
American Indians have served, and died, in the armed forces of the United States at a higher rate then just about any other ethnic group as a percentage of population. This tradition of service began with the revolution and has continued in every war and conflict since. It is a sad commentary that most American Indians would not be counted as citizens until 1924, and in many cases still could not vote until the late 1960s. The ambivalence we feel is much deserved when a man can be wounded on a foreign battlefield in the service of his country and yet turned away from a coffee shop back home. “All men” indeed.
When we consider the history of the human race, we need not look far to find the failings of men. From Babylon to Rome, from Varanasi to Cuzco, we find the attempts of men to improve their existence with greater or lesser success.
The successes have often been short lived due to the failure of succeeding generations to learn from the past, both good and bad. The failures generally can be laid at the feet of demagogic leaders and the short-sighted foolishness of their followers (Germany under Hitler falls into this category).
There is much debate nowadays about the United States. Its legacy and its future. These debates are worthwhile of course, and they should be truthful and honest as obfuscation of past sins is not the path to an honorable future; but amid these discussions and debates we must remember some very important things.
In spite of its past sins, which are many, the United States is the best experiment in government men can build for themselves. Whether that is a credit to the United States, or a condemnation of human nature is subject to debate, but it is nevertheless true. While this country has consistently fallen short of its highest ideals, it has never ceased reaching for them, propelled by idealistic leaders dragging the lazy, the selfish, and the bigoted behind them.
This country is made great by the poet, the eccentric, the dreamer, and the community leader. The most visceral threat to that greatness is the lobbyist, the bigot, the self-righteous hypocrite, and the demagogues who cater to them.
These are times when we need more of the former and less of the latter.
As we gather and celebrate, let us take the time to remember the past honestly and work for the future diligently. With understanding and with tolerance, secure in the realization that none of us are free unless all of us are free.