Adobe Stock 852124042 By Margarita Ratatosk

250 YEARS

WE THE PEOPLE

The 250^th Anniversary of the United States of America is a time for celebration and introspection. The celebration is best observed at the local level since the country is so varied and diverse. Locals know some things about what it means to be here. The regions of the Nation are rich with history, folklore, and traditions. 

This might be the year to travel to other parts of the Country, so we might meet ourselves and learn from that rich and varied diversity. What makes a Nation truly great are the people with all their stories and experiences. Think of the accents of language, the diversity of diets, the varied climates. Everything from the tallest skyscrapers to tiny villages blesses our terrain, not to mention the majestic mountains and the mighty rivers.  

A year-long observance is more than appropriate since different dates evoke a variety of memories concerning National and Local history. The Fourth of July might remind us of our dreams, hopes, and aspirations. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are clearly stated in our heritage but not yet realized for so many who suffer economic and racial injustices.

Juneteenth recalls the ongoing struggle for the full human and civil rights of so many of our people. The legislation of July 2, 1964 ended the Jim Crow Laws and once again set the Nation on course to be a multi-racial democracy.

The recognition of Women’s Right to Vote on June 2, 1919 changed the Nation for the better. We will always cherish the Apollo flight to the Moon on December 24, 1968.  We will never forget the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. These remembrances and events, and so many others, take on greater intensity and meaning as we journey around the Nation and look at ourselves through one another’s eyes.  

We are a Nation of Immigrants, still striving to welcome those who seem different from what some might consider normal. Immigrants reveal our identity as a people, and we would be soulless without them. In fact, they are us. 

The United States is an experiment. Since our founding, we have been striving to become a multi-racial, ethnically diverse, religiously pluralistic democracy where justice and liberty for all would be a sure thing. Recent setbacks, like past failures, will not deter us from achieving our dream if we do what we do best – come together for the sake of one another.  

Sometimes ideological thinking rooted in fear, bias, and prejudice can prevent us from meeting and engaging with one another. The best way to know someone is to meet them, hear their stories, and see the world through their eyes.

Go to the County Fairs, travel the open roads, journey to the farms and villages, wander through the cities and towns, meet your neighbor, and see what a wonderful family we can be and are. Please remember and become aware of the Indigenous people, past and present, who have so much to teach us.

Together, let us make our Anniversary year a year of renewal and rededication. Let us take our founding seriously and make amends for our faults, learn from our mistakes, grow in wisdom, and be the people we long to be.

Happy Birthday, America.

The best is yet to come.  

Thomas P. Bonacci, C.P.
With the Board of Directors
The Interfaith Peace Project