THOUGHTS ON JULY 4TH – OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY

Usually, the 4^th of July has meant fireworks and family barbecues for most Americans. This year it was different. Most large gatherings were banned and most communities canceled fireworks. For some of us, it was a pause for reflection.

Why did people come to America from every corner of the world? Yes, for most it was the dire economic needs that forced them to leave their near and dear ones in the hope of a better tomorrow for themselves and their future generations. I would like to think it was more than simple economic needs which attracted hundreds and thousands then and today. The idea of America is far broader.

America is a place that holds the promise of “all men are created equal” and “liberty and justice for all”. The first quote is part of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the second one is from the Pledge of Allegiance.  After 244 years we are still chasing equality –for gender, for color and sexual orientation. Similarly in the name of liberty public interest is trampled upon by individuals as evidenced by those refusing to wear masks and thus endanger themselves and others. Equal justice still eludes a significant percentage of Americans whose future is essentially predetermined by what is the zip code of their residence. It is the zip code that determines your choice of education, level of police protection, and access to healthcare —and in the end your longevity and quality of life.

A pause from usual celebrations also reminded me of what is possible only in America – a Barack Obama can become President. One can go on with their everyday life without having to get permission from government bureaucrats every step of the way. We may not always elect the person of our personal choice but we are not jailed or exiled for expressing our opinion. It is not only possible but not at all unusual for a son of an immigrant to create a company like Apple or immigrants like Henry Kissinger to shape American foreign policy for decades. As we speak both Microsoft and Google are run by Americans of Indian descent. 

America is a work in progress. Septuagenarians like Trump and Biden will need to step aside to pass the torch to a new generation who will take further steps towards a society where a person will be judged by the “content of character and not the color of their skin” (to borrow Dr. Martin Luther King’s words), will be cognizant of the threats to the environment and create a society of equal access to educational and healthcare equality. This country has endured two World Wars, a civil war that almost split the country apart and seen divisions which were just as bad if not worse than the current street riots, the Spanish flu pandemic which killed many more than coronavirus and worse economic downturn during the depression. America will endure and hopefully come out strong ad more united than ever….that is my hope and prayer on this 4^th of July, 2020.