Today's MOZEN: A Meditation on the 4th of July 2015

Words and photo by F LoBuono

As we finish celebrating our 239th year of independence, more and more Americans are expressing deep concerns about the apparent divisions within our society. We, as a people, pride ourselves not only on our fierce sense of personal freedom but our unity as a Country, as well. Today, many believe that our rights as individuals are being infringed upon and that the schisms between white and black, poor and rich, and city and rural are just too great to be overcome.

However, if you really study American history you will find that, in reality, we are a country of bickerers - and we always have been! Right from the beginning our so-called Founding Fathers couldn't agree on just about anything. Some of the States' delegations to the Continental Congress wanted to pursue a resolution with England, so long as she addressed their legitimate concerns while others wanted a complete break. Most of the Southern states distrusted the New England ones, feeling their demands too severe. We feel this North/South rift even today. The delegates couldn't even agree weather to leave the windows in the meeting hall open or not - some argued leaving them open allowed flies in, while others complained of the stifling heat without them open!

At much as we pride ourselves in our unity (heck, we're the UNITED States), we must not forget that we fought a terrible, costly civil war to keep it that way. And, despite the 150 years since that bloody conflict, we still feel its effects even today (see Charleston, SC).

So, where does this leave us? Do we quit, throw our hands in the air and claim "things will never change"? Do we accept things simply as they are because "that's the way it's always been"? Or, do we call on another American attribute - getting shit done - to propel us forward. Despite our differences, Americans have more in common than not. We may bicker, but when things need to get done, especially in a crisis, no one does it better than America. WWII and its Greatest Generation of Americans proved that.

But, today, we seem to have lost sight of that. We've forgotten how large and diverse this Country truly is. It's not called the Melting Pot without reason. When so many cultures are thrown into the same pot a bouillabaisse of ideas and thought is bound to be created. And, as is the American way, everyone wants, and deserves, a say in how this Country is run and how it will affect them. It's always been that way AND it must remain so.

We need to understand that by our very nature, by our very existence, disagreements are a natural process. It's HOW it works. The key to MAKING it work is respect. We must find a way to respect one another, especially when we may so vehemently and passionately disagree. It's not easy. It never has been and it never will be. But, it's one of the keys that makes us so damned strong. From discord our Founding Fathers managed to create the boldest political/social experiments the world has ever known.

There is a story of a heated argument between two key figures in our independence, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Usually allies, Jefferson and Adams were at odds over certain wording in the Declaration of Independence. The debate got very heated between the two, with both men coming very close to completely losing their tempers. After the exchange, both took to their respective seats. However, after a short time, Jefferson got up from his and sat right next to Adams. He didn't say a word. He just sat there. Adams, and the rest, got the message: they could disagree - vehemently - but they were bounded by their brotherhood and commitment to their cause. They found a way. We must do the same.