Irony of this present moment
July 4, 2007 – 1:07 amSo I was doing a little reading tonight as I was waiting for my laundry to dry.
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation…
While reading that document can certainly make one reminisce about why we live in the country that we do, it sometimes takes somebody like Jeff to remind us to think about and appreciate the place we call home.
That, therefore, is the irony of this present moment. At a time when our government is in crisis upon crisis, when our faith in the occupants of those great marble buildings is at its lowest, when our national debate is filled with rage and despair, that’s when our country is at its strongest.
The mere fact that we weather such turbulent times as these — and far more turbulent times in our past, and surely still more turbulent times in the decades and centuries to come — stands as testament to the strength of our Republic.
That is our legacy, and that is our greatest monument. Not the gleaming façades or the scraps of slowly fading parchment. Those are just things. What we leave behind for our children will be what our forefathers left behind for us: a nation divided in every way in which people can be divided, and yet united in our dedication and our perseverance.
That’s what we should be celebrating tomorrow. Not bickering over our challenges or regretting our mistakes, but remembering that that which brings us together is that which keeps us strong.
One Response to “Irony of this present moment”
So I was doing a little reading tonight as I was waiting for my laundry to dry.
You certainly have interesting taste in light reading material.
By Brian on Jul 5, 2007