This July 4th celebration has extra significance as the nation is reaching 250 years of age. Colorado is also part of the special moment as it is highlighting becoming a state exactly 100 years after national independence.
There is a lot of talk about the 250/150 term that refers to that 100-year difference between the independence of America and Colorado becoming a state. Expect many festivities and commemorative events that recapitulate the progress the country and the state have made during the period.
Given the deep divisions the country has been facing, there is also a vital need to take a good look at who we are and what we have become. This, in some circumstances, contrasts with the opulent events to celebrate our country and state that are being planned.
To be sure, the country has made a lot of progress during the past two and a half centuries. Beginning with 13 colonies in the east, America grew and expanded across the continent to become a two-ocean nation.
It gathered notions about religious freedom and democratic values from the European homeland and fashioned a self-government based on a constitutional model that has been emulated again and again by other rising democracies across the world. It built a horizontal concept of equality that assumes that everyone is equal as individuals regardless of economic class and has sought, with varied success, to match it with open opportunities to be successful in everyday life.
One of the major characteristics of the drive to power and leadership of the world is the nation’s immigrant tradition that has provided the energy and work ethic to transform and improve on our history from generation to generation. At the same time, that characteristic has allowed for landmarks of tension that last until the newcomers become part of the national fabric.
An understood requirement for those coming here is that they should lose their nationality as quickly as possible. There seems to be a desperate need for many in this country to have immigrants eliminate the trappings of their home world so that their identity does not contaminate widely held notions of what is to be American.
I have wondered from time to time about that fear and have come to understand that because we are an immigrant country, we do not have the thousands of years of customs and history that many from other nations possess, to round out our sense of identity and place. Our oldest traditions come from our flag and founding documents that launched a democratic experiment that is our greatest source of pride.
Because of our lack of deep roots, we tend to be overly patriotic in our thinking, our war making and our celebrations. We use notions of patriotism in our political discourse to the point that our election campaigns feature many people that invent themselves as patriots and others that are guilty of stolen valor.
Real patriots and genuine heroes tend to stay quiet in the face of so much hypocrisy. These quiet people have climbed the mountains of fear and brought back gifts of victory for America.
Our 250th anniversary as a nation is a great reason to celebrate and recognize our many accomplishments. In this time of peril to our democratic way of life, we should also take the time to recommit ourselves to our special ideals of freedom.
Let us tell the world that our democratic experiment is alive and well. Let us also tell ourselves that we own and honor it.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
