It’s the Fourth of July. A day where, in the U.S.. we celebrate our independence. I’ve written and rewritten these thoughts countless times. The Supreme Court’s decision regarding Roe v. Wade has been coloring my view; frankly, I’ve been struggling to find a reason to celebrate the United States today (or any day). I’m not ready to break out the sparklers, but here is where I’m at.
Our country’s birthday is celebrated not on the day our independence was won, but on the day it was agreed that it was worth fighting for. The ink on the Declaration of Independence was still drying and the King of England was still blissfully unaware of our ceremonial secession. Battles had been fought, but the bulk of the war was still to come. Yet, this is the day we celebrate.
We were founded on ideas and ideals. Born fighting for an intangible promise that we still fight for every. single. day.
The only thing that’s changed (for some) is how we fight.
It’s easy to write off our Founding Fathers as archaic and irrelevant to the present moment. After all, as some members of our Supreme Court were kind enough to point out, they made no mention of abortion in the Constitution.
Still, I think they’ve left us with at least one lesson worth holding on to. Independence doesn’t start with a battle or with permission from some outside authority. True independence starts when you decide it’s worth fighting for.
Be Kind. Be Brave. Stay Awkward.
Listen to the Post
Onward & Awkward 