Hello, friends!
Happy July 4th!! Or Independence Day.
For your history reminder, 247 years ago on July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence.
The document signed by the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. The Declaration summarized the colonists' motivations for seeking their own independence and a complete and final separation from Great Britain.
It was a shocking thing to do and it would take seven perilous years to win our hard-won freedom.
Today, our country’s beautiful flag and grandiose ideas still stand, but thanks to a radical, far-Right Supreme Court, people are understandably concerned about our recent setbacks. The Supreme Court is FAR too imbalanced, with only three justices appointed by Democrats. (Obama appointed two of them. Biden has appointed one.)
I could write an angry column about how unfair all of this is, but I firmly believe in remaining optimistic. In believing in a better tomorrow. In passing on a stronger, more fair country to our children and grandchildren.
And doing that requires us to keep our heads and keep our eyes on the prize: the monumental elections approaching just next year.
I thought I’d share the column below as a piece of optimistic reading you could do today, as you celebrate our wonderful country. (It’s a gift article link from The Washington Post, so you should be able to read it even without a subscription.)
Why there’s reason to believe American democracy has a bright future. For all the bad, the United States is better than it thinks itself. And in the future, it will be better still.
As the column reminds us:
U.S. democracy has rebuilt itself from centuries of chattel slavery and another hundred years of Jim Crow; from the Trail of Tears and the Japanese internment; from the Palmer Raids and the Comstock Act and the Red Scare. It recovered from anarchist bombs and urban crime waves and any number of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wilder schemes, including his plan to pack the Supreme Court. No matter how bad you think things look right now, you can find worse in American history — emphasis on “history.” Americans got through it. We can again.
Here’s the gift link again: Why there’s reason to believe American democracy has a bright future.
Happy July 4th, everyone! I love each and every one of you.
And if you want to drop a comment or thought (or some encouragement!) in the comments below, I’ll join you below.
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)
CLOSING THOUGHT: Do not despair in these coming days. The light of dawn is emerging, and nothing can stop light (or truth).
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written 11 of them: a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.
Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.
Stan, thank you for sharing this. It's exactly what I needed today. Happy Independence Day!
Happy 4th of July, Stan and Family! 🎉🎉🎉
Love and Light,
Your friend, always.
Meenaz 🧡🌟