Ron Friesen: If this doesn’t feel like America, what do we do?

Published 1:30 am Saturday, July 9, 2022

By Ron Friesen / Herald Forum

It was hard to celebrate the Fourth of July this year. This year, heartbreak and misgivings about who we really have buried the pride. So no Stars and Stripes flew for the first time ever. My country’s flag now represents division, dishonor, disrespect and destruction.

I want to honor Old Glory, but could not this year.

Those flying the flag the highest and loudest no longer seem to believe “All men (people) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Truth, honor and respect have been replaced with selfish demands for “my rights” and “my truth,” no matter the cost to others.

So where are we, as a result? Disrespect is the rule now, not the exception. Try driving at 60 miles per hour on the freeway in the right lane and see what happens. Try enjoying the Fourth in Marysville where there is total disrespect of our fireworks ban despite the wonderful celebrations at Ebey Slough and on the Everett waterfront.

Disrespect of others surged to new heights as covid deniers claimed the “personal right” to not wear a mask or get a vaccine, which resulted in the U.S. having by far the highest death toll in the world. Distortion of “my 2nd Amendment Rights” has the U.S. exceeding any other country’s gun violence death rate. These deaths are not the price of freedom. They are the price of a selfish, self-absorbed country. This is not a country to celebrate!

As predicted, we are now more concerned about the high price of gas and groceries than the “New Hitler” invasion of Ukraine by Russia’s Vladimir Putin. And as the atrocities fade from the headlines, we fret about what’s in short supply on the grocery shelf or on car lots more than the murder and mayhem half a world away, and even on our own city streets. How could this happen to the supposedly greatest nation in the history of mankind?

We have lost our way as a country, as a government, in business, in our faiths, and in ourselves.

Yet, we can rebuild on four simple words. No, it is not, “Make America Great Again.” Those four words have contributed more to our national narcissism than anything in our history.

“Everyone has infinite value” are the four words. When these words define us, some amazing things happen. Respect for others replaces selfish motives. Truth, sacrifice and generosity get our highest attention and honor. “My responsibility” becomes equal in importance to “my rights.” Those inclined to be self-righteous and condemning of others have to stop, reflect and rethink.

Finally, people will realize that it is the fundamental patriotic duty of everyone to vote in every election.

This is the most important way we show we care about our country and our community. The 27 percent voter turnout in Marysville’s last special election screamed: “I don’t care!” Is this who we are? Is this who we want to be? I don’t think so!

“Everyone has infinite value.” Let’s do this!

Ron Friesen is a longtime Marysville resident, a retired music teacher and community and church musician and is committed to community improvement.