Thursday, July 4, 2019

Birthdays are a good time to take stock

Happy 243rd birthday, America.
Birthdays are the perfect time for reflection;
a chance to think about where we are,
where we've come from
and where we're headed.

I believe it's time,
actually past time,
to acknowledge that this country was built 
on the attempted genocide of one race
and the enslavement of another.

The vision of America being celebrated by most people today
is primarily told from a white, European, male perspective.

The American ideals we reportedly hold dear
have always been more aspirational than actual;
more imagined than realized.
This image 
(from a wonderful photographer on the Rosebud Reservation,
Kernit Grimshaw)
is my icon for today.

I'll be celebrating the beauty and diversity of the
histories and cultures of all people
who comprise our country
and call America home.

I'll also be praying that, together, we find a better way forward.

No comments: