A 4th of July Reflection

Patriotism: Grief and Resilience

If you are grieving today on this 4th of July, 2025, you are not alone, and your grief is a sign of your genuine patriotism as one who deeply cares about “liberty and justice FOR ALL” and whose “love of country” isn’t a bastardized phrase used to exclude and harm. The passing of the deadly, big ugly bill signed today by a petty king-wannabe, isn’t reflective of freedom, it is cruel, intentional class warfare that rips independence from those whom Jesus stood with and gives more of it to those whom Jesus rebuked. It took courage to sign the Declaration of Independence in the face of tyranny, and today, we summon similar courage in the face of another tyrannical government, and we will continue the struggle toward liberation where until we are all free, none of us is.

Tonight, my partner, JohnE and I went to the movie theater to avoid the PTSD-inducing noise from our war-zone sounding neighborhood. When we got home, it was unfortunately still going strong and didn’t end until midnight. Our cats were hunched down in worry. Our dog pretty much snoozed through it all thankfully, in the comfort of his crate, but I felt sad for all the pets and wild animals, the environment, and the anxious. I don’t mind sparklers, fountains, and parades, but I bemoan that some feel the only way to celebrate is to be the most loud, obnoxious, illegal, and inconsiderate. I can’t not think about those in literal war zones, and feel a discord in the midst of fireworks that mimic bombs, made “pretty”. I recall my childhood days of streamer covered bicycles and flag waving parades in the park, and driveway sparklers and fountains finished by 10pm, our tummies full of homemade ice cream.

Today, in 2025, our family: this veteran, this chaplain (who was on call, and worked today), and this MSW student, stand in solidarity with the vulnerable, and the resonant aching hearts of Americans who so deeply care about equity, community, justice, safety, human rights, and access to resources that all people deserve. It is true patriotism to call out injustice, speak hard truths, and grieve the callous indifference of those in power, and those who either ignorantly, or willfully cheer it on. We will rise up and continue the work to make real the vision of an America who uplifts the WE (meaning ALL) in We the People, even though her current leaders strip away rights and trample on the constitution. While we grieve the deadly bill that is a vicious theft from the poor and hard working humans, and a massive emboldening of a terrorizing agency against immigrants, and a greedy, grotesque overflow funneled up to the rich, while it is being sold with lies to make us believe otherwise, we also celebrate the larger make-up of America: the one of resilience, the communities of care, the “good trouble” makers, the true patriots marching in the streets, the woke and the wise, who continue to serve in ways that matter, and who won’t ever give up making the word a better place, bringing about liberation, and being accountable to the “truths we hold…”