Happy American Independence Day! I’ve often wondered why we don’t say “Happy Independence Day.” It’s the only holiday referred to by its date. You’d never say “Merry December 25th” or “Happy February 14th” would you? Why has arguably one of the most consequential dates in history been relegated to a calendar date?
Historians, pundits and commentators have reflected on this from time to time over the years. Perhaps the difficulty in spelling “independence?” Others believe sheer ignorance — the vast numbers who can’t tell you much about the Declaration of Independence, who wrote it, what were the 13 original states who signed it? Or believe it or not, independence from what or whom? Or those who cannot discern between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, which came more than a decade later. To hell with it, let’s have a burger and go watch fireworks.
I love all things American History, so this day has always meant more than fireworks, parades and barbeques. It’s particularly troubling to see the three ring circus in Washington today. But I digress.
On the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor it reads:
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”
This symbol of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness welcomed my Irish ancestors over 140 years ago, along with the Germans, Italians, French and many other people from all over the world. Sure, they were called names (“Mick” wasn’t so bad) and given a hard time (“Irish need not apply’) but no one was put in a jail cell. No one was separated from the family. Today, in America, that’s what we are doing. We are locking up children in cages to sleep on concrete floors and share one toilet and sink. Babies diapers not changed with any frequency. Food and drink sparse and insufficient. Imagine this is your child or grandchild; you can’t. Adults have it just as bad with cells so overcrowded it’s standing room only.
This is not the America I know. This is not the America I learned about in school, the one where “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…”
If this was happening in another country, we’d have Jimmy Carter, the United Nations, and a team of bureaucrats, doctors and lawyers on the next flight to investigate and cry foul. This is happening in America, folks!
I don’t care what your political party is, who you voted for last time, or even who you’ll vote for next time. I don’t care what your position is on taxes, healthcare, the Middle East, or any of the rest. If you don’t feel outrage and disgust over what’s happening to the people, created by the same God as you and me — if you don’t think this is immoral, atrocious and even sinful — then I will never understand you.
This is America, people. Re-unite these families. Give them a pathway to citizenship or send them to their home countries. But put an end to this barbaric and inhumane treatment of our fellow human beings.
We are better than this. Keep your tanks and your Blue Angels. Unlock those cages. Do the right thing.
