Today is the 4th of July,
A.k.a Independence Day.
It is America’s birthday;
The day that the colonies declared independence from Great Britain.
At least, that’s what most people think.
The day Congress voted for independence was July 2nd
And the day the Declaration of Independence was signed was August 2nd.
However, the document itself is dated July 4th.
What is the true day of America’s independence?
I would say when the vote was made should be that day.
Whatever the case, July 4th is considered “Independence Day.”
For the longest time, it was a day of great celebration for me.
But recently, with police brutality, systemic racism, and a pandemic running rampant,
And with an inept administration ill-equipped to come up with solutions,
It really leaves one feeling very disillusioned.
With millions homeless, uninsured, and starving,
And with thousands more being treated like second-class citizens,
Whether they’re naturalized citizens, asylees, refugees, or immigrants,
It leaves one to wonder if Americans really have independence.
With millions of people dependent on corporations and the government,
While others have millions or billions of dollars to spend,
There’s a real discrepancy in this broken country.
It’s sad to see.
It saddens me especially because I’m a mixed minority.
I have a constant fear of being shot by the police,
Or being deported because I look like “an illegal.”
All of that and more make me very fearful.
So far, I haven’t had to deal with racism and prejudice,
But I fear, in the future, racism and bigotry will become more severe.
I fear people will become more open about their hatred towards minorities.
I fear for my friends, my family, and my loved ones.
I fear for everyone who’s Asian, black, Latinx, or mixed.
I also fear for what could happen to me.
And that leaves me to wonder, is there really independence?
Is there really independence in this country
If so many people have to live in constant fear of discrimination, hate, and bigotry?
I’d say no.
I’d say we have a long way to go.
Who knows?
Maybe racism, sexism, bigotry, and hatred will never go away.
Maybe they will always be here to stay.
I hope that’s not the case.
I hope that one day, we can live in a world free from hate.
Maybe that will happen. Maybe it won’t.
All I do know is, it all starts at the individual level.
I believe that most people are capable of change.
I believe that most people can change for the better.
How do they get there?
I don’t know for sure.
What I do know is, I want to try to understand people.
I want to understand why people are the way they are.
I want to understand why people act the way they do,
Say the things they do,
And think the way they do.
I want to try to understand people.
By understanding people, meaningful solutions can be reached.