Today is July 4, 2024. Today we commemorate the 248th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from England. Normally, I would enjoy waking up to listen to NPR and their annual reading of that document. It always makes me proud that we live in a country where the people, through elected representatives, make the laws and run the country, rather than have a sole monarch that makes all of the decisions.
In light of the most recent ruling of the Supreme Court, I am not going to listen to that reading this morning. I fear it would seem hollow to me and might bring me to tears. This country is not the same one in which we lived a mere 4 days ago.
One of the greatest ideas, on which this nation was founded, was that no one was above the law. It was comforting to believe that even the highest official, the President, was subject to all of the same laws that we were. That all changed on Monday.
Now we know that’s no longer true. Now the President can do almost anything with impunity. This changes the relationship between the top executive and the American people. I’m sad and fearful that future commemorations of Independence Day will be more of a nostalgic event, rather than the bright, aspirational event it has been up until now.
I don’t want to lose democracy. If we do, we will suffer and the whole world will suffer with us. At this moment, hope is much needed. At the moment, I feel it to be quite scarce.