July 4th - What does it now mean in America?

On this approaching holiday the question must be asked: are we still the UNITED States of America?

There is so much that stands as barrier between us, so many beliefs where we diverge. It appears that the only reason we remain attached, even in theory, is the serendipity of our shared geography.

Even our flag does not join us. It seems but a weapon, a shorthand for taking sides in a pitched battle. We are as the Hatfields and McCoys. Ready to argue to our death.

What now does it mean to be an American? Apart from our love of fireworks and food where is our common ground this July 4th? What in fact are we celebrating? A mirage of a unified past that seems as removed from our current circumstances as imaginable? A present where we toast what exactly?

This is a particularly difficult 4th. With the recent rulings of our Supreme Court signaling a new era of repression and regression. With the putative leader of one party embroiled in myriad imbroglios of his own manufacture, crying most foul. With those who follow him blindly being all cult and culture wars. With the First Amendment and Second Amendment being used to shut up and shoot down the opposition. With there being a continuing test of the strength of our constitution and our Constitution.

Our environment is literally choking us to death while half  our nation would treat it as but an ill wind we can huff and puff and blow away.

Where do we join hands? We all love our children, but do we protect them by keeping them from learning of our mistakes and transgressions, or do we doom them to a future where our errors are repeated on endless loop? Do we inform them that those who reach our shores because they still look upon us as a beacon of light are trying to rob us of that light, or do we let them know they are trying to join us to add to the illumination? Do we tell them we are color blind or merely blind to what color means in this country?

We speak in different tongues even as we talk in the same language. We are each as foreigners in the other's land. The sad and embarrassing truth is we are not welcome in their home nor they in ours. 

We are better than this. Or are we? Maybe we have just been hiding the depth of our differences behind some false facade, some curtain that has now been removed. Maybe we really never had anything good to say about each other but were afraid to reveal our full and unfettered sentiments. Maybe Mr. Trump and what has now followed him has stripped away our pretenses and left us staring at the chasm that separates us.

The easy thing is to paper over this for one day. To raise a glass together, or at least a red, white and blue flag as the parade passes by. To raise our collective eyes to the heavens as the night sky explodes in beauty and power. To dream of a day when we can join forces in common enterprise. To find that hope in our shared humanity has not been forever extinguished. To believe, because it is so much better than the alternative. 

For me, I choose to take the easy route, at least for this coming 24 hours. I still love July 4th. I just pray it somehow loves me, loves all of us, back. I want this to be a red, white and blue moment in time. Not red, white and BLUE.