We had much-needed rain, and some respite from summer heat, all behind us now. Everything needs watering again, and the weather report is that it will be hotter every day through the week.
This Fourth of July will be the 250th anniversary of the unanimous Declaration of Independence, the Semiquincentennial, a wonderful word for a celebration. Hard to feel celebratory when the state of our country is in such turmoil. I guess it bears remembering that America was founded in the turmoil of separation from England and the Revolutionary War, followed by 250 years of disagreement and compromise. That seems our natural state.
I started looking up historical quotes, wanting to correctly quote what Martin Luther King Jr. said about the arc of something bending toward justice. Here is the full quote: “When our days become dreary with low, hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way, and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” What an orator he was; he spoke in soaring images.
That got me reading different websites, initially searching comments regarding the Revolution, but found them from all periods, all still relevant.
“The States separately have very inadequate ideas of the present danger. Party disputes and personal quarrels are the great business of the day, whilst the concerns of the nation are secondary.” –George Washington
“Those early patriots may have come from different backgrounds and different walks of life, but they were united by a belief in a simple truth: that we are all created equal, that we are all endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” –Barack Obama
“An Elective Despotism was not the government we fought for, but one which should not only be founded on free principles, but in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among several bodies of magistracy, as that no one could transcend their legal limits, without being effectually checked and restrained by the others.” –James Madison, “Federalist Papers, No. 45”
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” –Abraham Lincoln
“Remember the Ladies.” –Abigail Adams
“If this nation is to be wise as well as strong, if we are to achieve our destiny, then we need more new ideas for more wise men reading more good books in more public libraries. These libraries should be open to all — except the censor. We must know all the facts and hear all the alternatives, and listen to the criticisms. Let us welcome controversial books and controversial authors. For the Bill of Rights is the guardian of our security as well as our liberty.” –John F. Kennedy
“True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth, universal brotherhood and goodwill, and a constant striving toward the principles and ideals on which this country was founded.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
“We have to own even the darkest parts of our past, understand them, and vow never to repeat them.” –Ketanji Brown Jackson
“The American Revolution was a beginning, not a consummation.” –Woodrow Wilson
“The American Revolution and Declaration of Independence, it has often been argued, were fueled by the most radical of all American political ideas.” –Carl Bernstein
“The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.” –Edward Kennedy
And finally, “It will be celebrated with pomp and parade, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other.” –John Adams
On our Island, July Fourth will definitely be celebrated with the parade and fireworks. May we all stand together to celebrate our country’s founding principles on this holiday, then work to maintain those values, our enduring commitment.
Happy birthday, America.