America

I’ve driven through many urban and rural areas of Texas and Oklahoma in the past few days, and I saw celebrations of our country’s independence everywhere. Store windows were decorated in red, white and blue. Old Glory hung from flagpoles, lampposts, porches, and apartment balconies. Fireworks blazed through the skies. Speakers blared everything from The Star Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful to Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA.

If I were asked 5 years ago what it meant to be an American, I would have proudly answered freedom and opportunity. When I heard The Star Spangled Banner, more often than not, my eyes would fill with tears and an overwhelming sense of pride would flow through my body. As a middle class, white heterosexual Christian, I have been privileged to experience freedom and opportunity. For a large chunk of my life, I naively believed that everyone in this country had the same opportunities and experiences, and I was insolated from understanding that they did not.

For what should be obvious reasons, I cringe at the word “great.” When Donald Trump said he would “make America great again,” Republicans cheered. When Hillary Clinton, said, “America never stopped being great,” Democrats cheered. Yet, the reality is that for some, America really has been great, and for others it has been shameful. What I realize now that I didn’t 5 years ago, because I was protected by my own privilege, is that while many have prospered, including me, others have been harmed. I have spent my entire career working for a state or local government agency, and I firmly believe in government’s ability to help and protect individuals and populations. But, I also realize that even when the intent is good, some laws and regulations can lead to unintended negative consequences.

There are many issues facing this country today. Healthcare costs continue to rise. College tuition costs continue to surge, as do interest rates on student loans, resulting in many young people entering the workforce with six-figure student loan debt. When I entered college the year this country celebrated its bicentennial, I was fortunate to have scholarship funds and a Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG), which was authorized as part of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972. Because of these funds, my working class parents were able to send both of their daughters to college without us amassing debt.

This country is also plagued with an opioid epidemic, which has contributed to our behavioral health crisis, which has contributed to our criminal justice system crisis. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately half of state and federal prisoners meet criteria for substance use disorder. The Dallas County Jail is the county's primary mental health treatment provider for individuals with any involvement in the criminal justice system. It is also the second largest mental health facility in the entire state. However, the criminal justice system was not designed to treat mental illness or drug addiction.

Listen to any reputable news source, and you hear stories of continued discrimination in various forms, bigotry, and economic disparity. And, there’s the immigration crisis. We have many, many problems.

In an article published in Odyssey Online on June 5, 2017, St. Olaf College student Danielle Sovereign wrote, “Love for one's country has to be more than a paltry sense of nationalism or a spirit of competition against other nations. It has to be a willingness to admit the faults of the country you live in and fight for not only the rights of you and your family, but for the rights of all inhabitants of the United States.” Wise words, Danielle.

Despite the problems and shortcomings in our country, I still believe that democracy is the best form of government. I still believe that we can make a difference. I still believe it’s possible to create a country in which everyone has the same freedoms and opportunities. But, I also know that life presents complex problems, and that it takes physical and mental energy to keep going. And, that sometimes you need a break to recharge.

So, during the Independence Day holiday, I took a break from work and searched for moments of awe. I found these moments when I looked at my niece’s face and listened to her burbling noises. I saw them when I looked at a photo of my mother holding her smiling great-granddaughter. I experienced them as I meandered through the Farmer’s Market with my sister-in-law and her dogs, ate some fresh pesto and bruschetta that she prepared, floated on the river, enjoyed margaritas and conversations with friends on the patio, and cheered as the U.S Women’s Soccer Team won the World Cup!

I acknowledge that I was able to take that break because of the perks of privilege. I get it. But, I’ll use my renewed energy to continue the work we started. I still believe that our dreams can come true.

They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy

They can say, they can say I've lost my mind

I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy

We can live in a world that we design

'Cause every night I lie in bed

The brightest colors fill my head

A million dreams are keeping me awake

I think of what the world could be

A vision of the one I see

A million dreams is all it's gonna take

A million dreams for the world we're gonna make.

A Million Dreams