I went to Tulsa for Independence Day. What better way to celebrate our freedom than to get away from the world? As usual I took what should have been a quiet relaxing and fun trip out of town and turned it into another quandary on life and what's really important. (Mom usually claims that when I do this I'm over analyzing. I probably am, but what can you do about it?)
But as I got into Oklahoma I was quickly reminded that this land is home to countless numbers of Native Indian tribes that weren't in this part of the country before my ancestors got here. A sign for the first city along the Will Rodger's Turnpike, Miami, claims that we should visit because it's home to "8 Native Tribes". Eight tribes. That's eight tribes who didn't used to live right on top of each other. Eight tribes who used to be unique and are now lumped in as the number one reason to visit, a tourist attraction, kind of like a life sized zoo.
As usual, I see this sign and note to myself that I won't be visiting anytime soon. But as I get further down the pike I enter the Cherokee Nation. And I can't say that I don't cry every time. If you take side roads through the Nation you'll find a lot of the stereotypical run down homes, and you'll find the liquor stores, but you'll also find good homes, good people and tradition clung to so tightly that you almost can't tell John Ross traded everything he raised to be to get the US to leave his people in peace.
So I find myself wondering, what tradition/religion is it that this generation is clinging too? What will help us keep our identity when we find ourselves relocated and our best laid plans fall asunder? What's our passion? And what really ties this country, this nation together? I can't say that I have an answer.
On a whim my egnostic brother bought me C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. I'm sure at the time the only thought he had was, "I think she likes C.S. Lewis and I don't think I've seen this one in her room". But what he gave me was much more than just a book. The book brings to light the difference between claiming that you follow traditions and actually following them. Lewis talks about a Christian who is Christian in motion alone and not in belief or in truth at all. I'm starting to believe that today's American celibrates holidays for the motions of tradition alone and has no true reverence or comprehention of why we celibrate.
Freedom has become an assumed way of life, it is taken for granted and we assume the rest of the world is "free" as well. But we've lost the definition of the word and have lost the value of it. Somewhere along the line we have forgoten what it cost to gain it and what it cost those we've taken it away from. Freedom has become a word written in red, white and blue but no one looses their breath over the blood that flows from the innocents who fight for it. We shout for the freedom of countries half a world away but believe it should cost us and those we fight for nothing. Have we forgotten the thousands who gave their lives, on the battle field or sitting at a congressional desk, for our freedoms? Have we forgotten the thousands who fought for their own as we stole their land?
Until we can understand the cost of our freedoms and can celibrate soberly the holidays and traditions of our people I don't believe this generation will ever really stand as one, and this house will remain divided. No longer are we divided by the Mason-Dixie line, now we are divided by those who care and those who don't.
Independence Day is not about fireworks and who had the best barbeque or the best red,white and blue shot at the bar. Independence Day is about this Nation banding together to stand for what is right, what is just. Independence Day is about cherishing what we have inherited from our fathers (and mothers) and working to make it better.
But to improve what we have, we first must learn to embrace what we have been given. By God, at least sincerly thank a Veteran.
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