Many Paths: Are we still celebrating the right things on the Fourth of July?

On Tuesday, July 4, 2023, Americans of all shapes, sizes and stripes celebrated Independence Day. On this day, most of us willingly abandon our tribal affiliation to stand with our fellow citizens as one nation.

Independence Day is an opportunity to enthusiastically embrace liberty and freedom with a sense of national pride. People gathered all over the nation in backyards and parks for the annual Fourth of July barbeque.

We served up food and drinks which are beyond the wildest imagination of most third world countries. We capped off the day with fireworks, both privately and publicly.

Let me pause here for a moment and ask an important question: What’s wrong with this picture?

Here is my concern, considering the latest headlines from across America. The nation faces a dilemma; a quandary that threatens the very foundation upon which we stand as a nation.

As a person of faith, I feel compelled to put these questions before you. The dilemma that we face is that of choice. Are you for liberty or tyranny? Let’s begin our discussion by looking at freedom’s goals.

Does every citizen share equally the fruits of democracy? Secondly, do the celebrants of the Fourth of July really want Liberty for all people? Third, do celebrants of the Independence Day believe in the Rule of Law? Lastly, do the celebrants of the Fourth of July support and uphold the U.S. Constitution for all citizens?

I believe that most of the American public do believe in the nation’s creeds but fall woefully short in the practical application for every citizen. When I look on the economics front, the education front, the criminal justice front and the environmental front, equity is missing.

There is a huge gulf between what we hold up as our national identity versus what we do in practice. Here is an example. Just last week, millions celebrated when the Supreme Court rolled back protections for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. The highest court in the nation reversed established precedence and stripped away important protections for the most marginalized of our citizenry.

Silence means I agree with the ruling. It’s time to think long and hard about these undemocratic leanings. Let’s start with Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis, a presidential candidate. Listen to his words but also examine his revisionist policies that’s impacting the lives of countless Floridians every day. Gov. DeSantis views U.S. history as somehow flawed. This is an amazing viewpoint for one seeking to be Commander in Chief.

This indeed an interesting twist in that the conquerors, meaning white men, wrote the history books. The establishment of America as a nation was done to break away from the domain of King George III. The framers of our nation’s founding creeds were not perfect men and women, but they were souls, determined to chart their own course.

Every year when we celebrate Independence Day, look at the growing trends to limit citizen participation in their government. Look at the radical push to limit access to the ballot box. Look at how the politically connected lobby take away the rights of Americans. Pause and ask yourself: is this how liberty works or is this works of tyranny?

Real liberty must align with Merriam Webster’s definition. Consider for a moment Gov. DeSantis' first campaign ad touting his pledge of a "Great American Comeback." Someone please ask the governor, what is America coming back from? The governor has obviously not read the latest economic data nor the latest job reports. Someone please encourage the governor to cease banning books and take some the time to read a few to be better informed.

The governor rhetoric has helped furthered the big lie that people of African descent are low in intelligence, lazy, and lacking in morality. The dilemma that America faces right now is this: Who will stand up for Liberty?

Our journey in America is the story of old wrongs not being righted. Our story in my opinion is an ongoing nightmare where the Black person is always the first to die.

Take a moment and reflect on the words of Doc Rivers, the former NBA coach after the murder of George Floyd, “It’s amazing why we keep loving this country, and this country does not love us back.”

We must not give up on democracy, despite the voices aligned against liberty and justice. Most Americans still believe that democracy is worth saving. Never lose sight of the fact that history is our foremost critic, and is an eyewitness of the good, the bad and the ugly of our nation’s past.

Andrew Jowers is a minister in Galesburg and contributor to the Many Paths column.

This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Many Paths: Fourth of July celebrations come at a time of dilemma