I understand if on this Fourth of July, you don’t quite feel like celebrating. With the rise of gun violence, Supreme Court rulings and future agendas, and a divisive political landscape that has unwoven through the last decade– it makes sense not to feel pride in this country.
But if celebration isn’t what you feel up to, then perhaps what we need is national reflection instead. Despite our shortcomings, I do believe in our democratic process and the progress we have made in broadening our liberties, but that does not mean we are without faults. Change is never clean, it’s complex and implosive– breaking, building, breaking, and rebuilding again into an imperfect statue worn by the will of the people.
We have faltered in women’s and reproductive rights recently, yet we are ahead of over a dozen countries where aboritons are completely illegal. That isn’t to say we should just stop at where we’re at and be “grateful”, but rather it’s a sign that we should fight harder to strengthen our rights because it shows that we can secure them. Roe v. Wade’s very existence is proof that the American people will not back down when bruised and we can work to have it returned and codified into law.
It may also seem to many Americans that the debate over gun violence and the Second Amendment is a hopeless one due to powerful groups such as the NRA. However, Congress’ recent bipartisan bill on gun control shows that they can be reminded they are the people’s house, not the PAC’s. Of course, such legislation should have been enacted long before tragedy could strike again, but every past example not acted upon is a future lost.
Furthermore, I do see the potential of this country upon reflection. I’m still amazed that for a nation this large and with this much diversity, we have not shattered under the weight of our own differences. Many other nations have broken apart from being ethnically heterogeneous, unable to bind. We have certainly been tested on this and continue to experience episodes of shameful bigotry– but from those struggles we’ve seen proud voices from Black Lives Matter, Stop Asian Hate, and many more leaders and community members that remind this country of its roots as pursuers of freedom and the unyielding movement for civil rights.
Yes, we exited the Paris Climate Agreement– but by the will of the people, we have pledged to it with a plan to cut carbon emissions in half. Even when we had initially departed, four-hundred and eighty-six cities within the country stood defiant in their own allegiance to improving the quality of our planet for future generations. Even when our lawmakers deafen their ears, the voice of the American people will be heard around the world.
I reflect upon these moments not as an erasure of the problems we face, but as a reminder of our ability to overcome them. I too look at all the errors that reappear in this country and ask “how many times more must it be said again?” And yet, I am reminded that the voice of the people never tires and that the pride in our country has never truly been that of pomp or vanity, but in the courage to look forward and complete the job that remains unfinished.
So if the work of our progress must be done again, as it has so many times before, then let us strive on to finish it. If you are not proud of this country, then I ask you to reflect as I have– and after the fireworks settle and the sun rises on July the fifth, I hope that you will join me as we work towards this country, the United States of America, an unfinished journey we will walk together forevermore.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
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