This topic of July 4th…& especially whether it’s acknowledged or not, absolutely impacts mental health – for the collective.
I did some research yesterday: the avg length a new country’s constitution stays in place before it’s abolished or removed is 17 yrs. 17! American has surpassed that by 230.
If you take a big pic look, these “sides” we’ve been put on, BOTH have things they are majorly upset abt at the moment. For one “side” it’s things like recent SC decisions…for the other “side” it’s things like the belief that there’s a 2-tier Justice System & Agencies are in cahoots & not investigating people & alleged crimes.
There are way more examples I could share, & it’s why I said “things”…but that’s not the pt of this post. The pt is to take the big pic view that in this system of govt, diff parties control diff branches & even houses, & therefore no one feels like they are fully getting what they think is “right.” All of that however – leading to not acknowledging that a country exists…not acknowledging 247 yrs…not acknowledging all who fought in battles…essentially cancel culturing a whole country? That tears us further apart.
On these platforms I/we don’t pander to what gets: likes/follows. If I/we did, I’d/we’d take a “side.” There are enough ppl out there who’d agree w a polarizing view that I/we could get this alg0 humming.
But that’s not what’s right for our MH. Like most other nonprofits we celebrated Juneteenth. It’s the right thing to do – what a tragic but amazing story that some slaves were kept longer than they should’ve been, & then eventually freed. That celebration/acknowledgement shouldn’t be a replacement for 247 yrs of history, however.
We have to learn to live together, compromise, acknowledge one big COMMUNITY. A flag of a country shouldn’t signal a “side.” Good/bad/ugly, we are all part OF this country. Let’s work together thru what’s ugly…not cancel what we don’t like/is hard. That’s what’s best for our collective MH.
