We Can't Hate Our Way to a More Perfect Union

Independence Day thoughts from my younger self

I was recently thinking about how different it feels as America approaches her 250th birthday, compared to the Bicentennial I was lucky enough to experience as a fifth grader in North Little Rock, AR. It was a simpler time, and, yes, before anyone brings it up, a time when the promise of America was still distributed unevenly on lines of race, gender and class.

But it was also hopeful.

There was an optimism about America and our ability to continue to improve. The problems I referred to were either trending better or seemed tractable. I can’t speak for an entire generation, but my impression is this view was largely held across Gen X. We had a belief we could lead lives that built on the improvements our parents’ had earned, and better days lay ahead.

I don’t think that view is widely shared now.

There is an increasing divide between Left and Right, and an increasingly zero-sum attitude toward political opponents. The ideal of a united people moving forward in a constitutional republic is replaced by a win-at-any-cost mantra. Pack the Court. Executive order. Drink the sweet tears of your enemies. Anything less and you just “don’t get” what’s at stake.

Well, I think I do. I get what’s at stake for our future because I’ve been there.

Or at least close enough for my taste.

In fact, I am going to turn this over to a guest writer of sorts, writing from a country where just such a debate is playing out. I’m turning over the Quijotesco keyboard to LTC David McCune, my younger self. This is an Independence Day essay he wrote from Iraq in 2009. It too was a country and a people facing the choice between a pluralistic society and violence. I think it’s fair to say it’s been a bumpy road, and that struggle is ongoing.

I also think it’s fair to say it’s a road we’d rather not go down.

Over to you, LTC McCune.

Friends and Family,

Happy Independence Day from Ibn Sina Hospital, Baghdad!

I hope your 4th is full of joy and pride, that the biggest excitement is the fireworks, and the biggest worry whether to have the apple pie or the chocolate cake for dessert. My advice - both.

I've been over here for about 4 months now, with about 2 to go. This is the first 4th of July that I've ever celebrated in another country, so it will be particularly memorable. It has also made me a bit reflective, so I thought I'd share some of that with you.

First, what people say is true: you really never appreciate something fully until it's taken from you. Being over here has made me appreciate so many things that I took for granted. Please take a moment this Independence Day and form your own personal reflections. I think you'll be glad you did.

1) I am daily humbled by our men and women in uniform. I've had the honor to care for some outstanding Soldiers. We all know that they take risks, but you may not appreciate the day-to-day grind they go through.

The basic uniform, body armor, helmet, rifle, ammo, water, and field pack most soldiers wear weighs north of 60 pounds. That's what these folks are wearing almost every day for hours at a time. In 120 degrees.

In cramped vehicles. With people out there who want to shoot them. The stress on the body, particularly the back, means that garden variety aches and pains turn into nagging injuries. Motrin and Tylenol often don't cut it. However, almost to a person, these Soldiers don't want to be removed from action. They want something that will stop the pain and get them back to duty with their unit. I've seen a grown man cry with regret when I told him I was sending him home for medical reasons, 12 months into a 15 month tour. These are special kinds of patriots, and I think we all need to appreciate just what kind of people have first earned and now defend our independence.

2) It takes more than a Constitution to make a society work. I've had the privilege to care for some brave Iraqis as well. We provide care at Ibn Sina for Host National patients who have threats to their life, limb, or eyesight. For them, even more than for us, dealing with the terrorists is a daily threat. You have probably read or heard that there has been increased violence here lately. Most of it has been directed at the leaders of government, police, Iraqi military, and ordinary citizens trying to build a country out of this mess. Imagine that every parked car on the street is a potential bomb, every man in robes possibly hiding a bomb belt. Now imagine going to work as if this were business as usual. That's what they face every day. This experiment in Iraqi democracy may ultimately succeed or fail, but if it fails it will be in spite of some very brave men and women who did their best.

3) Which brings me to my final point, all of the little things that go together to make a civil society possible. There are some bad people here. And some lazy, some criminal, and a vast majority who probably just want to be left alone. In other words, they are people not that different from us on many levels. However, at almost every turn, where our society reinforces freedom, society here often does not. Take a moment to be thankful for your courts. They may not be perfect, but they don't particularly care what tribe you are from. Be thankful for your religious freedom. I could go into any major US city and find Muslims praying in a mosque. Being a Christian or Jew in the Middle East can invite persecution. Be thankful for your civil service. Yes, the DMV can be slow and at times disinterested, but they generally are not expecting a bribe as part of the normal cost of obtaining their service. Finally, cherish the fact that our traditions place high value on each individual life. This is an area where all too many think it an honor to kill oneself and a many bystanders as possible. We believe lives are worth so much more than that.

So take a moment to reflect. Then go have a great Independence Day.

And, by golly, call it Independence Day, not the 4th of July. Eat a burger or a brat, or grill some fish; heck, if it's the way you roll, knock yourself out with the tofu. Raise a cold beverage to your great country, and wish her many happy returns.

Love,

David

P.S.

Photo attached of Independence Day Flag raising over Ibn Sina Hospital.

That's my team!

As our Aussie Embassy neighbors say - "Cheers!"

Current David here without much to add.

Consider focusing on what brings us together as a people.

Happy Independence Day.

Cheers, y’all.