America: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

What if the American colonialists hadn't protested the tax on tea? What if no one had said anything about religious freedom?
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When I was a small child, my parents always dutifully took me to watch the local July 4th parade. Each year we stood patiently for an hour and watched a few dozen people march past: a few off-key bands, the members of the high school twirling squad who weren't at summer camp, the volunteer firemen, some well-meaning, awkwardly conceived floats. Later we went to the shore to watch fireworks. We ate hotdogs and ice cream, and drank soda. Then we went to bed.

I asked my parents what July 4th meant. Their reply: It's the day we celebrate American independence. But what does that mean? Is it really the country's birthday? Why are we celebrating? They didn't elaborate.

I asked my next-door neighbors. They told me to ask my parents. I asked Oscar, the old man who lived down the street and who had served in both World Wars. He explained that America was a great, free, and democratic country, and that many people had fought and died to keep it that way. We should never take these freedoms for granted, he said; no other country offered what America gave to all its citizens.

When Oscar talked, even a nine year-old could feel the depth of his sincerity and the love he felt for the country.

As I grew older my love of the country also grew, but the expression of that love differed from Oscar's. College meant years protesting American involvement in Vietnam. Next followed protests for civil rights, and against Nixon, and then against Reagan, and for women's rights, and then against Bush, and then for gay rights; then protests against the next Bush, and then against the war in Iraq.

With all these protests came two realizations. One of these is that protests can be effective.
What if people hadn't protested the Vietnam War? What if no one had bothered to protest Watergate? Protests can change a country--for the better.

Go back further in time. What if blacks hadn't protested for their civil rights? What if women hadn't protested for their right to vote? What if workers hadn't protested for safety and fairness in the workplace?

Go back further. What if the American colonialists hadn't protested the tax on tea? What if no one had said anything about religious freedom?

Speaking of religion, go back still further; much of this country is Protestant. Although the word doesn't literally mean someone who protests, the term seems to have first been used to describe those who protested the attempt to forbid Lutheran teachings in the Holy Roman Empire. Eventually, the word Protestant became synonymous with those who protested against the Roman Catholic Church.

If it weren't for protests, change might not happen. Change isn't always good, but for the most part, when people protest what's bad, they're trying to change it for the better. When they succeed, the country succeeds with them.

The other realization is that protest is a form of love for the country as profound as Oscar's. You don't protest unless you care deeply about something. The original Protestants cared about religion, the original American patriots cared about freedom, and everyone else who's protested has done so because their heart informed their actions. When protestors take to the streets to change the country, they do so because they care. Today is the country's birthday. What better way to show your love than to go out and protest something?

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