Inter-Dependence Day Celebration

J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 0 7 W W W. T I K K U N . O R G T I K K U N 33 ISTOCK/JIM JURICA Politics & Society F aced with July 4th celebrations that are focused on militarism, ultra-nationalism, and “bombs bursting in air,” many American families who do not share those values turn July 4th into another summer holiday focused on picnics, sports, and fireworks, while doing their best to avoid the dominant rhetoric and bombast. The Network of Spiritual Progressives believes that this is a net loss. There is much worth celebrating in American history that deserves attention on July 4th, though it is rarely the focus of public events. We also acknowledge that in the twenty-first century there is a pressing need to develop a new kind of consciousness—one that recognizes the interdependence of everyone on the planet. A new revolution is necessary—one in which our actions reflect a realization that our wellbeing depends on the wellbeing of everyone else on the planet and of the planet itself. We’ve designed the following material as a possible guide for InterDependenceDay Celebration How to turn July 4 or other national holidays into a meaningful celebration … of what is good in America while acknowledging our interdependence with all people on the planet. 7Politics_final.qxd 6/5/07 11:54 AM Page 33 people who share the values we hold. We hope that families will reflect on the themes raised in these pages at their celebrations, and that churches, synagogues, unions, community organizations , and neighborhood associations will incorporate elements of this material into their public celebrations of July 4th. Pick and choose from the following ideas to select the pieces that work for you. Celebrating What is Good about the United States of America Today, hundreds of millions of Americans will celebrate all that is good in the history of the United States of America. Even though we know there is much to criticize about America (including the use of the word “America” as synonymous with the United States, thereby ignoring Canada, Mexico, Central and South America) there is also much to celebrate. Today we mark the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a document that still inspires many Americans today. We’re going to read the declaration aloud. As we do, listen for those ideas that you find inspiring, resonant, or in some other way pertinent for our lives in twenty-first-century America {Read the Declaration of Independence aloud. Then go around the table and ask people to comment on any parts of the document that seem applicable or inspiring today.} Unfortunately, the high ideals expressed in the Declaration, “that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” were not actually put into practice when the Constitution was created and the United States came into existence. The word “men” was not applied in a general sense to include women, but rather to only include men. And, in fact, for the first decades of our country the only people who could vote were white men who owned property . Worse, slavery was permitted and African Americans were counted as 3/5 of a European American in the census that determined how many people living in a given area deserved representation in the Congress. Native Americans—those who had survived the near genocide of European settlement—did not figure at all in these equations. Some of these distortions were rectified through the democratic process that had been set up by the founders of our country. History books focus on the people who were in power as if all change comes from those in positions of authority. The truth is that ordinary citizens created much of what we love about America. Often they encountered resistance from those in power; sometimes they found allies in power who joined in the struggle. At this celebration, let’s give thanks for the ordinary and extraordinary Americans whose struggles brought about those changes. As I read each of the following, let’s enjoy a bite of (whatever...