Today's Tension

As I write this, it is America's birthday. Number 244. Not bad at all. Definitely worth celebrating in big ways and little ways. One thing that strikes me on this special day is that despite our country's over two centuries of existence, we very much remain a work in progress. We are still growing, evolving, feeling our way along, and, if I may, taking baby steps. Yes, we are great. Yet for a country that is great, we sure seem to fall down a lot. At least that is how it has seemed lately. The fact our landscape seems to be ripe with so much division and turmoil is a picture of a people that are unhappy, troubled and unsettled. For an entity as old as us, I confess to being as concerned as I am surprised.

After all this time, does it not seem that we should have our act together and be able to reconcile our differences with not nearly as much turmoil as we are seeing?  Upon first blush, I would respond to that with an emphatic "Yes!" But taking a step back for a moment from the headlines of the day, maybe what we seeing and experiencing right now is who we are. Maybe all this head-butting, arguing, protesting, acting-out, etc. is us. Maybe it is who we have been these past 244 years. Maybe our greatness is the direct result of a non-stop, unwavering level of discontent among Americans. Maybe what is going on these days is a continuation of our beginning days when discontent and debate ultimately led to our becoming the United States of America.

Such a realization may be worth pondering as we try to make sense of the tension of the day. To put it another way, has there ever been a time in our nation's history when there has not been a level of disagreement similar to what we are seeing here in 2020? I think not. However, in making this observation, it is not my intent to minimize the issues that are driving our current conflicts. They are serious. Still, it is the arguing, debating, etc. that is not new. Further, what is going on is receiving greater exposure as a result of the advanced level of communication tools, including social media and television, that we now enjoy. So, on this year's birthday, to Americans I say, let's keep being who we are while at the same time keep focusing on being civil about it.