As America turns 250, see our many truths

The annual holiday to celebrate the Declaration of Independence is a mirror of our national health. On the Fourth of July we honor our nation’s rebellious founding ideals while recognizing that inheritance is unfinished.

The reasons to celebrate are many. Our exceptional constitutional system holds, our economy remains broadly powerful, our cultural influence vibrant and our scientific innovation unmatched. We should hail the sacrifices made by the founders and remember that other nations assisted in our rebellion against a British king.

Yet the coming milestone mostly feels like a time for introspection. A quarter millennium after our founding, this anniversary lands amid deep polarization about what America has been and what it ought to be. The feelings of pride about what has been accomplished in this unique nation over the past 250 years, and the disappointment that many of our goals go unmet, continue to coexist.

For many, profound frustration and weariness have taken hold. Trust in each other and our institutions has evaporated. Economic fairness, the sense that hard work will be rewarded, has eroded. Even those who have financial security fear their children won’t have a better life. An aggregation of recent polling finds the majority pessimistic that the country is on the right path. We do not trust that our national leaders, regardless of party, can guide us forward. Can we reconcile our sour mood with the traditional festivities?

FALLING SHORT IN PRACTICE

Social media has corrupted our civic discourse. We have lost the ability to disagree while understanding another’s perspective. One of the most disruptive issues on this anniversary is the challenge of remaining a vibrant nation of immigrants: What is the best system to have in place so we can continue to welcome newcomers while ensuring they are lawfully woven into our shared story?

It will be difficult to change course but that’s no reason for discouragement. These conflicts come from the nature of the American experiment. We annually ask when the Declaration’s soaring universal claims will be fully honored. This nation once tolerated slavery, denied women the vote and dispossessed the Indigenous people who first worked the land. This gap between principle and practice has followed the country from its birth.

One of history’s harshest but most memorable critiques came from abolitionist Frederick Douglass who spoke on July 5, 1852, in Rochester. “The existence of slavery in this country brands your republicanism a sham, your humanity a base pretense, and your Christianity a lie,” he said. Less than 10 years later, the Civil War began. Our civil rights struggles have broadened and they continue.

New Yorkers who witnessed the bicentennial likely have good memories of the festivities 50 years ago, especially Operation Sail, a spectacular maritime parade of Tall Ships floating past the Statue of Liberty. Commemorative merch such as Uncle Sam Pez dispensers and Paul Revere pewter tankards were snapped up in the shared cultural moment of a 200th birthday celebration.

START LOCAL

That coming together in 1976 was only two years after a president resigned, and as the nation began healing from the trauma of a misguided war in Vietnam. The distrust in government over the Watergate scandal was fading and there was a sense that the wrongdoers were held accountable.

Today, there are 250th anniversary digital trinkets, pickleball paddles and stars-and-stripes Bluetooth speakers among the traditional red, white and blue offerings but the lack of enthusiasm for commemorative items and civic celebrations to date is remarkable. Some of us are exhausted by the strain of continued political conflict. Others have lost confidence in our ability to overcome divisions, and wonder whether our constitutional pillars will hold.

But the United States is strong because its people have demanded that it change. Our resiliency is burnished by our ability to alter course when needed. It will be challenging to get ourselves on track. The most promising place to start is at the local level, where each of us can find a role in restoring trust, civility and kindness. For this holiday, let’s praise our nation for what is admirable and be straightforward about what needs to change.

In doing so, we must hold two truths as self-evident. Criticism is not unpatriotic. Honoring the flag and our nation’s resiliency is not dishonest. Our freedom allows us to do both.