Today, this blog wants to celebrate America’s independence. But what does independence represent to all of us? What does independence mean in the wake of a disastrous pandemic that allowed governments to impose what some have seen as unconstitutional yet lengthy stay-at-home orders curtailing our civil liberties like no other time in history? What should independence stand for against the backdrop of an explosive chain of protests seen in full display since the end of May called Black Lives Matter? Should we even celebrate America’s birthday this year, especially as the idea of wearing a mask has become such a polarizing issue?
Well, Dear Readers, we must celebrate it because, without independence, there is no freedom. Yet, freedom is essential in the pursuit of happiness. And since the American heritage of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness is for all of us to enjoy, we should also do everything we can to defend it!
The JMS team is acutely aware that these are challenging and confusing times for most of us for a variety of reasons, thanks in part to the multitude of perspectives that make the melting pot that is America! The first rule of crisis management is to go back to basic whenever one feels that one’s world is falling apart. The tug of war whether or not to remove confederate statues is in full effect, leaving many to feel that their world is indeed falling apart.
What does a return to basics look like in this context? Dear Readers, this blog is asking you to remember why we should all cherish this holiday: Congress so believed in the protection of unalienable Rights that it made sure to ratify the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. Furthermore, with the subsequent 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, this Land of the Free ensures a breath of specific protections of individual liberties and restrictions on the powers of government that is quite remarkable.
Consequently, we should cherish said unalienable Rights and never take them for granted. They are the reason this land of ours is unlike any other country on the planet and why people around the globe would give everything to share in this incredible legacy. Ask any democracy seekers in Hong Kong (first discussed in the JMS 2019 round-up) who now have to live under the controversial Chinese law that will give Beijing more power to strangle its nascent pro-democracy movement (you can read all about it in this BBC News article).
Dear Readers, can you imagine living in a place where the mere act of expressing your thought out loud or on social media can land you in jail or killed? We must not let any fraction of the country with good intentions make us believe that it is acceptable to let anyone destroy our unalienable Rights under the auspice of attaining an ill-advised illusion of a greater good (i.e. attempts to rewrite history by removing statues that this blog already decried).
Let us never forget, Dear Readers, that our freedom is our most precious right that many generations before us fought dearly to see to it that we can all continue to enjoy.
Therefore, let’s celebrate our freedom and independence. Let’s stand tall and bask in our incredible heritage. From all of us here at JMS, Dear Readers, we wish you all a great Fourth Of July!
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