Today we celebrate the birthday of the United States and honor those who established and have protected the freedoms that we enjoy. Despite ever-expanding oversight from the NSA, Google and credit card companies that catalogue our every phone call, text, click or purchase, we are relatively free to pursue our interests and personal happiness.
Mention threats to our freedom and most Americans think of terrorism, foreign cyber attacks, rogue states and illegal immigration; in reality, the primary threats come from within. Political and religious zealotry have produced a dysfunctional Congress, incapable of addressing the many problems that threaten our financial, educational, commercial and environmental welfare. Personal priorities, extreme positions and the search for national celebrity derail concern for the common good and ridicule now trumps respect and compromise. Well-financed lobbies, such as the NRA, push agendas that defy common sense and political maneuvers (including gerrymandering and voting regulations) serve to silence the voice of minority groups.
As we are witnessing in Egypt this week, democracy is fragile. Democratic elections do not ensure democratic rule and failure to address the rights of the electorate will, in the end, threaten the effectiveness and very survival of that democracy. As the income gap continues to widen in the U.S. and as powerful organizations impose their will on American society, one wonders how and when the tide will turn in this country. In the end, demands for personal freedom will prevail.
