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Reflections on July 4, 2023 [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-07-04

There was a time when July 4th festivities included a period of reflection, of thinking about both the blessings and the obligations that come with living in this great Country. Thinking doesn’t happen much anymore, having been replaced by sound bites and other less demanding mental processes.

So, I thought I would share my reflections on this July 4th.

If I were a person of any color, I would think about which of our two political parties has a long history of recognition and support to my community, and which party systematically opposes most initiatives on our behalf.

If I were a member of the LBGTQ+ community, I would think about which party has my back.

If I were retired, which I am, I would give some deep thought to which party considers making good on the expected benefits from a lifelong investment in Social Security and Medicare to be a more critical obligation of government than handing out more unwarranted tax cuts to those who already pay too little.

If I had a young family in these uncertain economic times, I would seriously consider which party champions programs like healthcare and a wide variety of social network support as a critical aspect of moving toward opportunity for all.

But far and away, the most important subject I would consider today, is which party solicits and panders to those who, in spite of being raised on a Book with a central theme called the Golden Rule, espouse imposing their narrow beliefs on the rights of others; and whether that party’s favoritism is in direct violation of the intent expressed in the opening words of the First Amendment.

Whether your guiding light is the beginning of the second paragraph of the Document we honor on this day or the last sentence of the speech at Gettysburg, the only means we have to preserve Democracy is to THINK before we vote, in every election, be it federal, state, or local.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/4/2179271/-Reflections-on-July-4-2023

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