The Undiscovered Country of Our Declarations

I wrote this five years ago but can’t find where I posted it. It still holds true today so why not post it here, now?

My message for today’s celebration of America’s Independence…

The dream of the United States of America has never aligned with the reality of the United Sates of America. How we imagine ourselves to be has never been who we actually are. Does this mean we should not keep dreaming and striving for those lofty goals? No. And if we were ever to achieve them, we should engage new, more lofty, ones. But, to deny the recognition of these self-evident truths actually undermines our intentions to realize the undiscovered country of our declarations.

For if we declare the job “done”; If we have reached that mountaintop; if freedom for all was truly achieved with the declaration of our intentions and the subsequent amendments to our constitution, then what now should we strive for?

The answer is this: the work towards freedom, justice, and equal rights shall never be done. Even if achieved it requires constant vigilance to maintain. So, as we celebrate what we have, knowing there are those with less, we must re-commit to those values and push further.

— Jul 4, 2021