Head and Heart: My Thoughts on this July 4th

Thursday, July 4, 2019

My Thoughts on this July 4th

It’s a strange July 4th I think. The President as usual has captured the headlines. You have to give him credit he knows how to demand the spotlight. Today it’s about tanks and all the nailing and painting around the platforms so that the President can stand front and center surrounded by reluctant Generals and Cabinet members—they better be there—and, of course family members and then big, big donors sitting almost close enough too touch the hem of his garments. And marching in the heat are all those fine soldiers and others that serve us. They would rather be celebrating with their families—but no. We jump when the President growls out his orders. Nobody knows how much this extravaganza will cost but the price will be embarrassing and incredible.

Meanwhile this July 4th symbol will not be this ghastly parade in Washington but down there on the border locked behind cages. This is America 2019. Poor, desperate folk who traveled thousands of miles just to find freedom and peace and a chance to start over again. And this is America? Those who have been there report horrific conditions. Some have died—and more will die. Many are sick and hungry and just afraid. Sleeping on the cold ground and wondering. wondering. I wish some of them could stand at a microphone in Washington tonight and tell us how it feels to have finally crossed the river and arrived here. Mr. Trump is actually proposing we jack up the fees for those seeking asylum.

And so here we have two pictures. Flags and planes and dragging out the finest military in the world and then beside them is this other picture. Cages. Fear. Sadness.

Something is wrong when those in charge have never even asked what if we took all that money that we are spending on Mr. Trump’s folly today and sent it down to Texas or Florida where we are told there is just not enough money or resources to provide for all the needs of those who come here. Maybe we should add a third picture. The picture of that father dead in the water with his little dead girl with her arm around his neck. This too is part of America 2019. Will we ever care enough to change this picture?

I pray today for our country. God knows I love the United States. But the “we, the people”…”we hold these truths…” all…”mutually pledge…”our”. seems to be lost in the shuffle of power and greed and blatant insensitivity.

This week we buried one of the heroes of 9/11. Luis G. Alvarez, once a Cuban, but a citizen of this country. He left Havana and moved his family to Queens seeking a better life for them. Mr. Alvarez served on the Police force for 20 years. He must have loved this place. This man worked tirelessly like many others after the Towers fell. Searching for survivors. Looking for the remains of those no longer here. Trying to help. He died at 54 of cancer which he believed came from his work among the ruins of the World Trade Center. Maybe this man is a symbol of what we want for all that knock on our doors.

The old YMCA question we still have to answer. “When will we get back to us?” On this July 4th these are some of the things that run through my head.

Freedom will not come