Growing up with the last name “Liberty” has been a rollercoaster. When I was first becoming aware of the world, and learning history, I felt patriotic to have such a last name. I was 2, almost 3, when 9/11 happened. Growing up as a white person in small, rural towns, I got to grow up surrounded by that feeling of patriotism and togetherness. Believing that the United States was the country that helped those in need. Providing sanctuary. The American Dream. As I grew older, I learned that not everyone got to experience that in the post 9/11 world. Some of my incredible, and I would consider close, friends experienced an incredibly different world when that happened, all within the same borders of this nation.
It was never just one thing that “radicalized” me. I was raised with Christian beliefs. While I no longer identify as a Christian, I do actually believe in the teachings of Christ. Welcoming the foreigner. Feeding the hungry. Caring for the sick. Providing aid to those in need and expecting nothing in return. Taking care of people. Loving thy neighbor. It was never the teachings of Christ that drove me away from the church. Hypocrisy was. But we’ll dive into that another time.
In many other countries, my beliefs aren’t even considered “radical.” Meanwhile, here in the United States, I’m easily perceived as being a “radical leftist” by many. All because I believe that all people are deserving of basic human rights.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men 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.” Declaration of Independence
The definition of liberty is the state of being free within society of from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority of one’s way of life, behavior, or political views. The definition of justice is just behavior or treatment.
If you went to school in the United States, you are all to familiar with the Pledge of Allegiance. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Reciting the pledge every morning at school and growing more and more of the hypocrisy within this nation’s borders has radicalized me more than anything else could. Liberty and justice for all.
Liberty and justice for all.
The last three election cycles have made it incredibly clear how far yet we still have to go until there truly is liberty and justice for all. Not only do I fear for my rights, as a queer woman, being stripped away. Rights that so many before me have sacrificed their lives for. But I also fear for the rights of those different from me. Throughout the country women, people of color, LGBT+, people with disabilities, immigrants, those belonging to other religious affiliations or beliefs outside of the mainstream, and so many more are at risk of losing their freedoms and rights.
The United States was built on immigration. Our history books teach us we are the nation that stands up for the little guy and fights for what’s right. While I am aware and recognize that that is not the entire history. There are some incredibly horrific things in our history that most certainly need to be better taught and addressed, but that is a discussion for another time. There are three major events that come to mind when I think of the patriotic image we’ve painted of fighting for what’s right. The Revolutionary War, World War II, and the War on Terror that followed the events of 9/11. A young nation, that had yet to be fully established, taking on what was the world’s most powerful Navy. Joining the fight against fascism and the genocide of a people. Fighting back when our own soil was attacked.
Merriam-Webster defines patriotism as a love or devotion to one’s country. Merriam-Webster defines nationalism as an ideology that elevates one nation or nationality above all others that places primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations, nationalities, or supranational groups. Do not mistake the two when I use them. The idea of patriotism that I was raised on was being proud of the country I come from and continuing to put in the work to be better. Perfect is a concept and not a reality that exists. There will always be things we can do to be better, both in terms of self and stated. I’m personally proud of my individual accomplishments and constantly strive to be better. That’s the idea of patriotism that I also have for this country.
Nationalism on the other hand is a different story. I see many shrouded by the belief that the United States is the best country in the world simply because it is. I fear that the wave of nationalism we’re surrounded by is a result that evolved from the patriotism felt after the 9/11 attacks. Hearing the stories of those whose skin is different from my own and what their experiences were after the attacks only validates my fear. Along with that overwhelming sense of togetherness and patriotism that resulted from the attacks, there was also horrific outpouring of racism and bigotry. As time has gone on, and I’ve grown older, that evolution of patriotism to nationalism has only strengthened and become more obvious.
Being raised to believe in the American Dream and the Great American Melting Pot, then growing up to see discrimination, bigotry, and xenophobia has been heartbreaking and disappointing. It’s a devastating feeling to be surrounded by those I care about saying that they love me and then vote in favor of stripping my rights away. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt proud of the nation I’m from. It seems we have a while yet to go until I can feel that way again.
I have hope though. It my cynically optimistic way, I have hope. It’s going to take a lot of work. There’s a very long road ahead. That work will be worth it. The Suffragette Movement, Civil Rights Movement, the Stonewall Riots, the AIDS epidemic, some of the more recent wars we’ve been in, Black Lives Matter and March for our Lives movements. There may be dark and horrific history surrounding each of these major events. But each of these events are evidence that we can continue to fight for what’s right. We can continue to fight to be better. Fight to be a nation that we can all once again be proud of. Education is a large stepping stone down that road. I’m going to continue to educate myself and fight for a brighter future. I challenge you to do the same. So we can have a future where there truly is liberty and justice for all.
Sorting Through the Shit 