Independence Day In The Eyes Of A New Citizen

On this July 4, it has now been a total of 45 days since I became a citizen of the United States. It is my very first Fourth Of July as a citizen. It’s a brave new world now, isn’t it?

It’s not like life has changed a bunch. I filled out a voter registration card. That’s a big step. I now have the right to carry a US passport. My wallet is a little emptier now that I don’t have a Permanent Resident Card. And let’s face the facts – a Canada Day celebration and an Independence Day celebration both typically involve food, fun with friends, and fireworks. Not much difference there either.

One thing that does appear more readily to me is how the values of Independence Day – and the reason for its celebration – have been forgotten, or misplaced, or perhaps even ignored. Sadly.

Our founding fathers took a dramatic leap of faith when they wrote the Declaration of Independence. Don’t forget, they were officially considered traitors. This wasn’t all sunshine and roses. They proposed ideas that were counter to the norm of the day.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Equality. Inalienable rights. Life. Liberty. Pursuit of happiness.

Hey everyone, that’s a big deal in 2012. It must have been epic in 1776.

The founding fathers had to have insight. They had to have convictions. And, frankly, they had to have the guts to take responsibility for their words and actions.

What does our post-Declaration world look like now?

“Equality” and “unalienable rights” have come to mean a lot of things. Equality, as in Martin-Luther-King-style equality? Or equality when it is convenient? The country seems to be as polarized now as ever. Black versus white. Man versus woman. Red state versus blue state.

There is a responsibility inherent to the words of the Declaration. But we now have ongoing acrimonious political debate in a setting that doesn’t promote accountability or responsibility for your words. The accepted standard is now insolence. Go ahead, just say whatever you want, and ignore the evidence along the way. Spend billions of dollars on attack ads, and do so in a presidential campaign that is designed to fill the office that, yes, supports those same values espoused in the Declaration of Independence.

Is that “liberty”?

I may be a new citizen, but I comprehend and appreciate the core values espoused in the Declaration of Independence. Perhaps all current citizens should have to take the citizenship exam. Maybe it would give people a healthy reminder of the values that this country has stood for over the past 236 years.

After all these years, it isn’t too late to truly appreciate and take to heart the insightful and revolutionary words of our founding fathers. They continue to provide a compass for this country, even if the implementation has gone a little awry from time to time.

Photo credits: AmslerPIX