Freedom and responsibility? Healing in Deckland....
My Dear Fellow 'Deckers:
Well everyone, as we are all aware, tomorrow will be the 4th of July. Picnics and parades galore will transpire throughout Cleveland's eleven neighborhoods, as well as Greater Cleveland's six eastern suburbs, five southern suburbs, and five western suburbs.
Lakewood, being one of those western suburbs, will add its own coloration to our local tapestry of celebration.
Each of our proud neighborhoods and suburbs will likely feel that they alone put on the best parades and fireworks displays.
Indeed, all across this land, those fireworks will light up the evening sky. Hot dogs, hamburgers, and enough potato salad to feed an army will grace the tables of America. Red-checked table cloths will bloom like July's tiger lilies.
Politicans will march in parades, candies will be handed out to eager children along the way, and lawn chairs will spring from musty garages like the mayflies by day, and the fireflies at night, and for a moment or two...everything will be good again.
Political parties will briefly be forgotten, liberals and conservatives will be a bit more quiet than usual, and...for that brief moment at least, at least for some of us...America's fallen will be remembered.
Some living veterans will march in those parades. Some will sit quietly in those creaky lawn chairs on the sidelines. Some will shed tears as the flag passes by. Some will stay home, or in nursing homes and whatever happens to pass for a hospital these days, but I digress.
This thread is not about hospitals. Let's please leave that sleeping dog lie. At least for one day.
Instead, while we begin to think about celebrating whatever it is that we, as Americans, will celebrate tomorrow, let's reflect for a second regarding the bitter acrimonious tone of so many online postings, particularly lately. In an effort to make things better, have some of us put our passions above other people's feelings? If so, does the end really justify the means?
Our Constitutional freedom of speech also implies a moral obligation to exercise that freedom responsibly.
The wise among us know that one can be 100% right, and yet, 100% wrong in the same breath, and so it is, and has ever been.
On July 4th, 1826, America's last two original Founding Fathers passed away. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams had been bitter political foes. Both men had served as United States Presidents. Adams was an ardent advocate of a strong central government, and Jefferson had supported a government more supportive of state's rights. Indeed, thirty-five years later, our country would erupt into civil war over those same political positions, but in their old age, both men had become good friends in spite of their differences, because both of them believed that, in our country, things could be worked out eventually.
Being the last two Founding Fathers, both men had a strong sense of history, and in their declining years, both did whatever they could in order to strengthen America. Thomas Jefferson's last words, according to some accounts, was "Is it the 4th?". John Adams' last words supposedly were "Thomas Jefferson still survives", although in truth, Jefferson had passed away five hours earlier.
Can we, as Lakewoodites, look to these men for our inspiration, and heal our serious divisions with civility... and with a solid faith that discussions and even compromise will insure a brighter tomorrow, or will we continue to create animosity among ourselves?
That will be the question.
Happy 4th to all. Yes President Jefferson. It is the 4th, or rather, will be tomorrow...if tomorrow ever comes...
Back to the Banjo.
