A United Independence Day

Next week we’ll celebrate Independence Day.  I always look forward to the patriotic displays and decorations, the fireworks, and celebrating with family and friends.  In the past, for at least one day, the country comes together to celebrate all things American.  I wonder if the United States will celebrate or will it be individual Americans celebrating? 

To earn the Citizenship in the Nation merit badge, a Boy Scout must discuss the Declaration of Independence with his counselor.  As a Boy Scout counselor, I prepared to work with one of my scouts by reading about the Declaration of Independence and (re)discovered a few things (Isn’t loss of memory the first sign of old age? I can never remember).

On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress, in essence, created the Unites States of America, by approving a resolution that dissolved its political and legal ties with Great Britain.  On July 4, 1776, Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, written to announce the break with Great Britain, establish the legitimacy of the break, and to document the grievances against the British Crown.

Across the top of the Declaration of Independence in the National Archive is, “In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America”.  In the final paragraph are the phrases “United States of America” and “United Colonies.”  I know from my history studies that not all colonists wanted to break from Great Britain and among the colonies, not all agreed on the issues of the day, slavery, religion, or commerce.  Yet, the members of Congress, “in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies” declared independence and established the United States of America.

Since the end of the Vietnam War, I can’t remember a more divisive atmosphere in this country.  I remember some of the war protests from that era—the police in riot gear, the protestors with their signs.  I remember feeling that the country was coming apart.  The country didn’t reunite until the Iran hostage crisis.  The American flags, the yellow ribbons, the prayer services, and the hope that all would come home safely are still vivid memories.

The 2000 presidential election was quite acrimonious.  The court battle, the arguments over a stolen election--these were things that divided us.  And then that terrible day in September 2001 united us.  Once again, there were American flags, and patriotic bumper stickers and ribbons.  All were reminders that, in a time of crisis, we were united.

When did we lose our unity?  It doesn’t feel like the country is united anymore.  Today’s arguments over immigration, lifestyles, economics, race, political philosophies, and the direction of the country seem to be tearing the country apart.  Red states, blue states, one-percenters, occupiers, haves and have-nots, and liberals and conservatives--all are labels that focus on the divisions among us.  The recent recall elections, the court rulings on health care and immigration, and the presidential election vitriol all fan the flames of divisiveness.

Wouldn’t it be great if, even for just one day, we could be the United States again?  On the birthday of this great country, let’s unite.  Fly an American flag, put a patriotic sticker on your car, or wear a patriotic shirt.  Heck, even if you just pin a red, white, and blue ribbon to your lapel, that’s a start.  Whatever you do, do something to celebrate the greatness of this country and forget the divisiveness and hate for at least one day.

Someone once said that America is at its greatest in times of tragedy and crisis.  I believe that is true because those are the times we seem to be the most united.  I hope it doesn’t take another crisis to unite this country. By then, it may be too late.

Happy Fourth of July!

What Do You Give Up To Get?

“Click here to win a free IPod!” “You may already be a winner!” “Enter to win a free vacation (or car, house, makeover, computer, etc).”  I see these offers quite often.  How often do your kids tease to enter a sweepstakes?  They respond to the perceived instant gratification of getting something they want for nothing without considering either the odds of winning or the consequences of their entry.  I am always skeptical of the odds of winning and the truth of the offer.  Read the fine print—odds of winning are one in many millions and substitutions may occur.  I believe the adage “there’s no such thing as a free lunch,” so what do I have to give up to win? 

Fill out a sweepstakes card; you’re liable to end up with a pile of junk mail in your mailbox or never-ending sales calls.  Click on one of the links to enter a sweepstakes, at best your email inbox fills with advertisements and spam.  Worst case, your computer is infected with malware or a virus.  You give up your time and privacy for a “free” chance to win and one in a million odds.  People running for political office often make promises to prospective voters, hoping to win their votes.  Lower taxes, more jobs, better roads, more social programs; the list of promises is endless.  But what do these promises cost?  You have to give up something to get something.  Finances and resources are finite. 

I watched a segment of an old BBC documentary, “The World at War” about the rise of Nazi Germany prior to WWII.  A German citizen was asked how the German people could allow Hitler to come to power.  The gentleman responded, “He promised bread and jobs. As we had no bread and no jobs, we were desperate for both. It was only later that we learned the cost of the bread and the jobs.” Indeed, the cost of the bread and jobs, in addition to the six years of war, the millions of Jews and Germans killed, and the near destruction of Germany, was the loss of civil liberties.  As early as 1933, the Nazis began suspending civil liberties. The Reichstag Fire Decree and the Enabling Act stripped German citizens of the same rights that are protected by the US Constitution.  Although these rights were protected by the German constitution at the time, the Nazi Party suspended those rights at the cost of bread and jobs.

During the run-up to the US elections this November, candidates will make many promises.  Do you know the costs of those promises, above and beyond the monetary costs?  Of course, uninformed political decisions have much more dire consequences than the spam resulting from sweepstakes entries.  In your daily life, when confronted by seemingly free offers, ask yourself what do you give up to get?

Democracy Died?

I watched the recent recall election in Wisconsin with interest, given that it was only the third recall election for a governor in this country’s history.  By all appearances, the governor was doing a great job - reducing unemployment, reducing the deficit and there are no allegations of misconduct - yet a recall election was invoked.  In this country’s two previous recall elections, both incumbent governors lost.  The last recall election, the 2003 California governor recall election, brought Arnold Schwarzenegger to office.

Scott Walker came to office in 2010 on a pledge to do something about the state’s $3.6 billion budget deficit.  After 16 months in office, the state has a $154 million surplus, property taxes have dropped for the first time in a decade, and unemployment dropped from 7.6% to 6.6%. According to CBS News, 52% of exit poll respondents approved of Walker’s job as governor.

What prompted the recall?  In order to reduce the deficit, he introduced the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill, which among other things lowered the cost of state employees by limiting collective bargaining for wages, and increasing the amount state employees must contribute to their pension and health insurance premiums.  Incensed, the state unions and the state Democratic Party initiated the recall movement, collecting enough petition signatures - more than 900,000 - to justify a recall election. 

During a live CNN broadcast on election night, a man told the CNN reporter that “Democracy died tonight.”  That caught my attention! What prompted this man to say that? I wanted to find out, so I did some research.  If voter participation is a measure of an active democracy, how many voted?  Was this truly the death of democracy?

In the 2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election, almost 2.2 million people voted.  Scott Walker won with 52.3% of the vote.  Tom Barrett received 46.5% of the vote. In the 2012 recall election, 2.5 million people voted.  Scott Walker received 53% of the vote and Tom Barrett received 46.3%. More people voted in the recall election than the original election.  That statistic would seem to indicate that the democratic process, or at least voter participation, is alive and well in Wisconsin. So, if it wasn’t voter participation that died, what was the death of democracy that the man cited?  Is it because vote of the majority didn’t go the way of this individual? It seems that the fact that this individual was free to vote and to express his opinion on the outcome demonstrates that democracy is alive and kicking.

Recall elections aren’t limited to governors.  In 2011, nine state senators faced a recall election. Seven of the nine were re-elected.  In addition to the Wisconsin governor’s race this year, the lieutenant governor and three state senators also faced recall elections.  All were re-elected save for one state senator.

Wisconsin held not one, but two recall elections.  The voter turnout in 2012 was greater than the 2010 gubernatorial election. The percentage of positive poll responses nearly equaled the percentage of the votes Walker received.  None of those facts support the claim that democracy died that night.

Was it political sour grapes? I don’t know.  However, I do believe that the inflammatory statement that democracy died is an indication that the rhetoric between now and November will become even uglier.  Regardless of one man’s opinion, facts show that democracy isn’t dead and buried.  I hope you dig past the political rhetoric and find truth supported by facts.  Before heading to the polls in November, educate yourself on the candidates and the issues, not just the hot-button issues such as same-sex marriage or abortion, but all the issues.  As Thomas Jefferson said,” The cornerstone of democracy rests on the foundation of an educated electorate.”

Texting and Driving

On Thursday, The Boston Globe reported that a Massachusetts judge sentenced a teenage driver to jail for causing a fatal crash.  The teen’s vehicle crossed the center line and hit another vehicle head-on.  One of the two occupants of the other vehicle was seriously injured. The second occupant of the other vehicle suffered massive injuries and died 18 days later after removal of life support.  The injuries and loss of life are tragic, more so because the teenage driver was texting while driving.

I googled “texting and driving” and the statistics are sobering. According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, a driver is 23 times more likely to be involved in a car accident while texting and driving.  Texting and driving results in a 400 % increase in time spent with their focus away from the road. Texting while driving is roughly six times more likely to result in an accident than drunk driving.  Was it an accident or was it negligence?  Could this accident have been avoided if the teenager wasn’t texting? 

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration research indicates that nearly 6,000 people died and more than 500,000 were injured in crashes due to distracted drivers in 2008.  The same research shows 21% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers were the result of cell phone usage.

The teenager in Massachusetts, 17 years old at the time to of the accident and 18 at the time of sentencing, will spend a year in jail followed by a year of community service.  His license was suspended for 15 years. He’ll have to live with the knowledge that his negligence caused a death. Can you imagine defining your future on a single act?

Governments can pass laws to ban texting and driving.  The media can quote statistics ad nauseum in an attempt to convince people that texting and driving is a fatal mix. But ultimately, we must make the choice not to text and drive.  If you haven’t already watched the video “The Last Text” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DebhWD6ljZs&feature=player_embedded , it is well worth your time.  And your kids’ time.

Before you think about sending or checking that text message, remember the words from a Massachusetts State Police statement, “…the victim’s family will always have an empty seat at their table, a hole in their lives, and only memories of the person they loved. That’s what distracted driving does.”

Memorial Day

I spent Memorial Day like a lot of other Americans, barbecuing and enjoying the day off from work.  While enjoying the fruits of my grilling labor, I began to wonder what our servicemen and women would have for a Memorial Day meal, and under what conditions they would eat that meal.

I know Memorial Day is set aside to honor the more than one million men and women who paid the ultimate price in the service of their country. I realize the parades, the US flag at half-staff, the laying of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and all of the other events are tributes to lives lost in this country’s conflicts. But I couldn’t stop thinking that there were soldiers and marines, sailors and airmen eating MREs or having a meal in a chow hall far from home.

During World War II, 11.5% of the US population served in the military.  During Vietnam, 4.3% of the population served. Since 2001, approximately 1.4 million American service members have served in the War on Terror, or 0.45% of the US population, with over 6000 deaths and 48,000 casualties.  According to the Department of Defense website, at the end of 2011, there were roughly 1.2 million active military personnel in uniform with another nearly 900,000 in National Guard or Reserve units.

The United States has not had a military draft since 1975. Therefore, every soldier, sailor, marine, or airman currently serving chose to serve. They, and their families, make sacrifices and endure the hardships that come with military life because they chose to defend this nation.  They are the people who foot the bill for our freedom.

We should honor them and thank them for their service more than once or twice a year.  Thank a service member. Hug a soldier. Fly the US flag at your home. Put a yellow ribbon or an American flag sticker on your car.

But we should do more. Do something to show your appreciation. Donate your time, your money, and your talents.  The Military Family and Veterans Service Organizations of America website (http://mvpsoa.org/) has a list of charity organizations that help veterans, military personnel, and their families.  Get involved with the Wounded Warrior Project (http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/) or Sew Much Comfort (http://www.sewmuchcomfort.org/) or any of the other organizations listed.  Send letters and care packages to personnel overseas.  There are organizations that will accept care package item donations and ship them for you or will connect you with military personnel so you can send packages yourself.

We owe the existence of the United States to the men and women who serve, bleed, and die. General Patton said, “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” Show your gratitude to those who serve.