Henderson: Despite differences, America is still united
By Joe Henderson | Tribune Staff
Published: July 4, 2013
It was a moment in time that changed the world. The resolution for independence was approved on July 2 and revised on July 4. It was read publicly on July 8, along with the ringing of the Liberty Bell.
Nothing has been the same since then.
Key among the many things the founding fathers embraced was the notion that all people were equal and should have a voice.
Getting there was messy, though. For instance, Jefferson and John Adams didn't like each other a bit, but both still signed a document that could have gotten them hanged.
I think the founders would have liked a lot of what they see today, even as contentious as it often is. They would have liked the tea party, I think. They would have liked that one party controls the U.S. House of Representatives while a different one controls the U.S. Senate.
They would have liked that the Supreme Court was making decisions on important issues based on the justices' interpretation of the law. They would have liked the differences of the South and North. They would have loved the debates on guns and schools.
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They wouldn't have expected us always to agree, which is why we have freedom of speech. I believe they envisioned an America where citizens would argue positions with unrestrained passion, and then gather together around a common flag to celebrate our unity.
They wouldn't have liked how our leaders spend so much time spying on and battling with other countries. They really wouldn't have liked how much the central government knows about the private lives of its citizens. As a nation, though, we are still relatively young. We will figure it out.
So grill your hot dogs today and play "The Stars and Stripes Forever" real loud. Watch the ballgames and fireworks shows, and celebrate the greatest land ever created.
And remember a time when determined men came together in Philadelphia to create the United States of America.
They got it right.
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