Fourth of July Message 2012

This is an interesting country to say the least. Since the earliest days there has been strife in America. We tend to ignore for the most part the original split in the population. The loyalists were not very happy with the rabble rousing group that wanted to separate from Britain. We tend to believe that everyone was on the independence bandwagon. They were not, and some chose to sail to England rather than betray the king.

When we did get independence, success as a unified nation was not obvious and it took many years to craft a flawed democratic country. This was anything but an easy birth, yet it happened. I use the term flawed because we still had slavery and the un-propertied class and women had no say in the government.

And then there was the Civil War, which was not very civil. We were flying apart like an exploding star. I’m sure only heavy drinking optimists thought they would ever see a united country, and again we survived –barely.

Then there was “The Great War” which we later called World War I. We had to give it a different name because later in the 20^th century we had an even more catastrophic war. During these periods our survival was in question. When the great dictators were on the march we were in serious jeopardy, again we survived

During the 1960’s we saw a president assassinated, a nation in tumult over Viet Nam, riots in the streets, again we found peace and moved forward.

The threat of the Soviet Union was real and very stressful- we survived that era too

I am now old enough to remember the “end of America.’ It has been ending several times in my lifetime alone. 

These tid-bits history I offer are the events that come easily to the mind of most Americans. In between these events were numerous times when we were at odds with each other. We are nation that is in a constant state of change and sometimes that change is very frightening. The current battle between the left and the right is disturbing. Each thinks the other is out to destroy the country and I, for one, do not believe that. This era we are in is “small potatoes” compared to what we have survived.

If you think America has lost its way, I think so too, but I also know it is temporary. In 1957 when the Russians launched Sputnik we were a very despondent nation. For the record we whipped them in space and advanced science. That is what we are all about.

I once asked myself; “Why am I always in the state of becoming? Why is it that I never am?  We, as individuals, and as a country are a work in progress. Enjoy your beautiful country, and have a great holiday celebration on this Fourth of July

Ernie Fazio