Another July 4th is hurling through time. Cookouts, fireworks, yea for America and our flag. I think about all the fourths that came before and can only remember a few. I think about how my uncle, Irving Lyons, designed our 50 states flag and feel proud. He was a typical first generation American. My mother’s older brother, a family of seven children. Immigrant parents from Russia. We are a country of immigrants. Why can’t we come up with an immigrant policy now? All those apposed to amnesty are the descendants of immigrants. They just came here. No paperwork, just showed up. That came later with Ellis Island. What is happening to this country is changing who we are. From being grand thinkers, we are becoming small, from being a force for intellectual curiosity, we are returning to the dark ages of unenlightened thought and superstition. Instead of democracy, we are turning into a lawless, gun toting society, like the days of the Wild West. But, we have the power to change this.
All we have to do is feel the wonder. Be humbled by the miracle we call life. We are species with special gifts. We can create art, music, literature, science and technology. We have achieved great advances. Let’s keep moving forward and acknowledge our higher selves. Let’s feel blessed for this gift of life and honor life in a positive and fruitful way. Let’s acknowledge the bliss that comes from being human and acting like we are all in this great experiment together.
