Happy Independence Day — By John Reed

Happy Independence Day!
This holiday will see many people standing by our flag–or hiding behind it. I guess it depends on their definition of patriotism: the new version says it’s well and proper to point out the nation’s shortcomings, while traditionalists stick with the tried and true mom and apple pie. I think there’s room for both.
We can recognize some founders’ desire for religious freedom while admitting their own inflexibility. The Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock fled religious persecution in England yet wound up doing incalculable damage to the indigenous peoples they encountered here. Oglethorpe’s enterprise in Georgia depended heavily on indentured servants [economic slaves] for its success.
Should we look only at the good or bad outcomes of our history? Of course not. A more even-handed and nuanced approach is needed, one that celebrates the obvious beneficial events while recognizing and [hopefully] learning from the mistakes we’ve made along the way. It’s also important not to see and judge through 21st Century eyes and ethics the actions and thoughts taken in other ages.
We now see the institution of slavery as barbaric and inhumane, and judge previous generations through our sensitivities. What are we doing as a society today that will be judged equally badly in 2324? Still, like everything else in the public arena today, we find ourselves at extreme opposite ends of acceptance of many things.
Surely there’s room for common ground. I started this column with the idea of “civil discourse,” yet most responses have been insulting at best, with little or no suggestions for alternatives. I would like to think we could get past personalities in the upcoming election and look at policies, yet even then the moats and firewalls have been erected. Neither candidate for president offers excitement on a personal level, but their policies should evoke thoughtful discussion. Rather than concentrate on their age or likability, let’s see how they’re going to fix inflation, settle wars, reform immigration.
In other words, stop using the flag as a prop or shield.