Every year, we Americans celebrate the Fourth of July with parades and flags, picnics and family gatherings, fireworks and pool parties. School’s out and summer feels like it’s just heating up.
It’s great fun, but do we all know what we’re really celebrating? As it turns out, maybe not.
Let’s see what you know.
July 4th is Independence Day, you say, so of course we’re celebrating our freedom after our big win in the Revolutionary War. Your high school civics teacher taught you well.
But are we celebrating our win, or what we created after we won?
Now we’re getting somewhere.
We declared our independence from England in July 1776 and eventually won the war. But then came the hard part: figuring out how to govern and take care of all those former colonists who had widely different interests and opinions. After much debate (people didn’t easily agree back then either), we adopted a constitution that set up our democracy.
You’re probably with me so far.
But here’s a bigger question: if someone asked you at the holiday cookout, could you define democracy? This is where it gets a little fuzzy for some people.
Emphasizing the “we”
A recent report out of the Democracy Policy Lab at UC Berkeley found that Americans these days are confused about the meaning of democracy, and increasingly distrustful of those running our government – and each other.
So let’s talk about it.
Democracy at its core is not politics. Instead, it’s a system of government that means “rule by the people.” The power is held by citizens – not a king or dictator – and those citizens get a say in how things are run.
In the U.S., we exercise our power by electing representatives to act on our behalf in Washington. Granted, we often don’t like how they’re running things, but we can put pressure on them to change their ways or vote them out of office. They work for us, not the other way around.
Good democracy focuses on the “we” – how we can make and use policy for the good of everyone, not just a few. Decisions can’t serve everyone all the time, but ideally, will trend in the direction of lifting most people up.
Perfection is the enemy of good
It’s not a perfect system, but for better or worse, perfection was never the goal. The drafters of the Constitution called for a more perfect union, knowing perfection would never be attainable. But that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to get there.
Do we get frustrated with each other on that journey toward a more perfect union? Absolutely. Do we differ on what path we should take get to there? For sure. Hard as it is, though, turning against each other and giving up isn’t an option.
With every decade, and every generation, by taking two steps forward after every step back, we inch a little closer to that ideal.
How patriotism fits in
One last question: What is patriotism and how is it related?
Patriotism is love and devotion to our country, mixed with a sense of civic pride and a willingness to contribute to the betterment of the whole. It’s a belief in something greater than ourselves. It celebrates what unites us and our democratic ideals, even when we fail to reach them at times.
On July 4th, many people fly the American flag to show patriotism. Others choose not to fly it to protest the political party in power. Our history gives us the right to do either, but remember that the flag doesn’t belong to any one political party. If you believe in the ideals of liberty and freedom for everyone – not just a chosen few – fly it to remind us to keep striving toward that more perfect union.
The lofty goal is worth it
Our ancestors aimed high. They wanted freedom of speech (even if it meant someone else saying something they didn’t believe), freedom to worship (or not), freedom to assemble (connecting builds relationships and gets things done), and freedom from oppression from a government where all the power was concentrated at the top. They saw the bigger picture and worked through their differences to make it happen.
It’s not easy. But with consistent effort and a heavy dose of humility, we too can continue working toward a brighter future, even when we disagree on how to get there.
The good news
The lead author of the Berkeley report ended on a more positive note: Even in today’s sharply divided world, “the public is not trying to run from democracy. Their relationship to democracy is frayed, but they’re trying to get help. People still want to read information and data, they still want to learn about democracy…and government and politics and different issues. That’s good news — that’s hope.”
Through the noise, “we the people” still have voices that matter. With our words and actions, let’s contribute to the world we want to live in – where everyone is respected and empowered to show up to do their part in ways that benefit us all.
Now that’s something to celebrate this Fourth of July.
Happy 4th!
