We Come in the Age's Most Uncertain Hour

We're on the threshold of what's often called the "Most American of American Holidays," Independence Day, and in that most American of ways we have of doing things that means we are even closer to a three-day weekend because when Crispus Attucks lay dying in the aftermath of the Boston Massacre, he took solace that someday there would be a holiday to use as an excuse to get a great deal on a new car or truck. Though perhaps not.

Before it gets really crazy busy with final planning and preparations for that holiday weekend, maybe each of us could look in the mirror and look around at the country we received from our parents and their parents and which we hope to give to our children and theirs. 

There’s been as much gained, I'd argue, as there has been lost through the tears and years. Some of what has changed has been better while some of it has only been different. The dilemma, at least for me, is in deciding which is which, and why.

By many accounts the heat was oppressive and tempers were hot in Philadelphia two hundred and forty-five years ago as that aggregation of malcontents and troublemakers (in the eyes of His Majesty, George III, King of England) gathered to refine, define and catalog their grievances and complaints as they took exception with the most powerful empire the world had ever seen.

Enumerating what they called our ‘unalienable rights’ to include ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ the founders of our republic, who did not agree on very much except that the present state of affairs could not be allowed to continue, concluded the only way forward as a people was to break with the past and declare independence from King and Crown.
   
Out of all of that has come all of this.

And along the way, the original magic and meaning have sometimes been lost in backyard pool parties, car sales, and chicken and burgers on the barbecue. Our politics remains spirited even if our interest isn't and our understanding of the issues is often muddled. 

And it’s not that we all agree with who we are and what we are doing. Far too much of our shared history is not anywhere near complete in the telling of the whole story of us. Just the opposite. It’s been posited we as a nation haven’t been this divided morally, politically, and socially since the Civil War. And that observation and analysis should mean far more than it does.

Some say never have so many had so much of life’s material rewards but, others say never have so many struggled to hold on to what they have. With apologies to Charles Dickens, these are the best of times for some and the worst of times for too many. 

The outcome of last fall's elections (as is always the case though we forget that every time), we were told, would help define the direction and future of our nation. But eight months on, we remain as divided as ever and maybe more so because our issues and interests seem to be so divisive. Common ground is in frighteningly short supply and we're so busy yelling that no one has the time or inclination to listen.

What may be missing is our national sense of self and our confidence and belief in our own abilities to forever adapt and triumph. We demonstrated those traits at the Founding and I would hope we each in our own way, might again find them, both for those whose inheritance we are and for those whose promise is yet to be. 

Enjoy the fireworks and the barbecues but remember there's more to the holiday. 

Happy 4th of July.
-bill kenny

We Come in the Age's Most Uncertain Hour

Even though in these parts, we won’t celebrate Independence Day until Sunday (pushed back from Friday because of weather concerns), and when we do, we’ll have a little bit of everything at the Norwich Harbor Fireworks, today is July 4^th. It’d be nice if we could keep the fireworks at the Harbor after dark on Friday and not have quite so many bursting in air in our everyday political discussions but we are becoming the people we once warned ourselves about, I fear.

If you’ll forgive my repeating myself and even if you can’t: On this Fourth of July should we be pleased with ourselves and proud of our nation? Of course, but somewhere between the backyard barbecues and softball games that no one keeps score in and that only end when it’s too dark to see, we might look in a mirror and then look around at the country we received from our parents and their parents and which we hope to give to our children and theirs.

In the midst of celebration, perhaps we can find a moment of contemplation.

Enumerating what it called our ‘unalienable rights’ to include ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ the founders of our republic, who did not agree on very much except that the present state of affairs such as they were in 1776 could not continue, concluded the only way forward as a people on this largely unexplored, new continent whose size and wealth was not yet known, was to break with the past and declare independence from King and Crown.

And 242 years on, look at us. Out of all of that has come all of this. And along the way, the original magic and meaning have been muffled by backyard pool parties, holiday car sales and chicken fried steaks on the barbecue.

Putting the UNITED in the United States

Our politics is spirited even if our interest isn't and our understanding of the issues is often muddled and muted. And, again, it’s not that we all agree with who we are and what we are doing. It’s been reported we haven’t been this divided morally, politically and socially as a country since the Civil War. And that should mean far more than it does.

Some say never have so many had so much of life’s material rewards but others say never have so many struggled to hold on to what they have. And there’s a lot to be said on both sides of that argument and there’s also a lot to be heard but we’re not very good anymore at listening to one another. 

What may be missing is our national sense of self, our confidence, and belief in our own abilities to forever adapt and triumph. We had those traits at the Founding and I would hope each in our own way we might again find them, both for those whose inheritance we are and for those whose promise is yet to be. Happy the 4th of July to you. May the 5th and all the days that follow be even more so.

-bill kenny

We Come at the Age's Most Uncertain Hour

For many of us who are normally in the middle of the working week, today is a day of sleeping in a little later, of a second cup of coffee at breakfast while lingering over the morning’s newspaper instead of grabbing and gulping, for whittling down a ‘honey dew’ list just a bit on what should be a day more of contemplation than celebration, today, the 4th of July.

Before it gets really crazy busy today, perhaps each of us should look in the mirror and then take a look around at the country we received from our parents and their parents and which we are giving to our children and theirs. There’s been as much gained as there has been lost through the tears and years and some of what has changed has been better and some of it has only been different. The dilemma is in the deciding which.

By many accounts the heat was oppressive and tempers were hot in Philadelphia two hundred and thirty six years ago as malcontents and troublemakers (in the eyes of His Majesty, George III, King of England) gathered to refine, define and catalog their grievances and complaints with the most powerful empire the world had ever seen.

Enumerating what it called our ‘unalienable rights’ to include ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ the founders of our republic, who did not agree on very much except that the present state of affairs could not continue, concluded the only way forward as a people on a largely unexplored, new continent whose size and wealth was not yet known, was to break with the past and declare independence from King and Crown.
   
Out of all of that has come all of this. And along the way, the original magic and meaning has been lost in backyard pool parties, car sales and chicken fried steaks on the barbecue. Our politics is spirited even if our interest isn't and our understanding of the issues is muddled and muted. And, again, it’s not that we all agree with who we are and what we are doing. It’s been suggested we as a nation haven’t been this divided morally, politically and socially since the Civil War. And that should mean far more than it does.

Some say never have so many had so much of life’s material rewards but, others say never have so many struggled to hold on to what they have. On the outcome of this fall’s elections, we are told, hinges the future of our nation-just as has always been the case. It was true then and remains true now.

What may be missing is our national sense of self and our confidence and belief in our own abilities to forever adapt and triumph. We had those traits at the Founding and I would hope, today, each in our own way, we might again find them both for those whose inheritance we are and for those whose promise is yet to be. Happy the 4th of July. May the 5th and all the days that remain be even more so.
-bill kenny