Independence Day 2022 Calls for a New Tradition

July 4th Resolutions Needed More Than Those of Jan. 1

Independence Day 2022 seems to be more aspirational than celebratory. Increasingly, it seems, the American dream is independence from other Americans.

The divide goes beyond policy differences. We don’t like our fellow citizens and we don’t trust our government. A new survey from the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics found that 73% of Republicans and 74% of Democrats agree that members of the other party “are generally bullies who want to impose their political beliefs on those who disagree.” The survey found a majority of Americans believes the government is “corrupt and rigged against everyday people like me.” Among those who say they are strong Republicans, 73% agree with the statement, as do 68% of rural voters. Democrats are about evenly split on the issue.

One consequence of these sentiments: more than one in four  Americans (28%) believe it may “soon be necessary to take up arms” against their government.

Rather than calm the waters, many politicians are stoking the fires of dissent. Democrats in several states are spending donors’ contributions not to promote their own causes and solutions, but to encourage votes for the most extreme right-wing candidates running in Republican primaries. When the goal of politics is reduced to winning at all costs, all tactics, it seems, are fair game.

For their part, some Republicans are embracing explicit calls for violence. Eric Greitens, the former governor of Missouri and now a GOP candidate for US Senate, recently produced an ad urging viewers to assault RINOs - Republicans in Name Only. "Get a RINO hunting permit. There’s no bagging limit, no tagging limit, and it doesn’t expire until we save our country," says Greitens in his ad.

At a recent rally of conservatives in Idaho, a young man asked when he could start killing Democrats. A Republican state representative called it a "fair question."

Yes, our political leaders often have failed our country. But as we celebrate Independence Day, we would do well to look at the complicity each of us has in creating a country that more and more is coming apart at the seams. The lofty goals of our collective efforts to “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,” as the founders wrote in the preamble to the Constitution, have given way to the narrow and self-serving agendas of special interests.

In short, we as citizens are enablers. We give too little thought and less action to the responsibilities each of us has to our country, our communities and our fellow citizens. The question isn’t whether America can change course; rather, it is whether we are willing to accept the consequences of not meeting the challenges that healing our fractured country require.

The optimist’s view of our country is this: America always is a country in the making. We have been through crises before, and we often have come out the better. We the people can be the agents of change. Yes, change is slow and we often have to give up something important. But the gains are so much more significant.

Here’s a modest proposal for Independence Day 2022. Give up those New Year’s resolutions you made six months ago. Most probably are broken if not forgotten anyway. Instead, let’s start a new tradition of Independence Day civic resolutions:

1. Resolve to vote, not just in the general election but in primaries. Increasingly in our partisan political system, it is primaries that select the candidates who will go on to represent us. In Minnesota, the primary is Aug. 9 and early voting now is available.

2. Resolve to make your vote an informed one. Take the time to learn about candidates and their positions. Go beyond the screeching negative ads that soon will flood our TVs. Look at candidate websites, read the voter guides produced by non-partisan groups, listen to a debate  and pay attention to what the candidates actually are saying.

3. Resolve to vote for the best interests of your community, state and nation, not just your  immediate self-interest. Ask yourself this question: When the unexpected happens - and we live in a world in which the unexpected is guaranteed - which candidate will make decisions based on values I share?

4. Resolve to get involved. Beyond elections, America needs a renewal of our sense of community. For all the negative news coming from Washington and our state capitals, there is a lot of good public policy that is happening today. Much of it just isn’t starting with government. It is taking root in our communities, our businesses, our non-profits and our faith communities. Lend your talents and your dollars to these efforts. They make a difference.

Certainly, to this list many other important actions can be added. Whatever your resolution, though, know that your positive involvement as a citizen is the best antidote to our national anger and anxiety. Yes, progress toward securing the blessings of liberty for our children and grandchildren is slow. But always remember that slow progress still is progress.

Happy Independence Day.