independence

I was in the first grade in 1976. It was the national Bicentennial, and it was a big deal. My husband, then 11, redecorated his room in red, white and blue in his enthusiasm. I can still remember the words to a half-time song “Two Hundred Years and Just a Baby.” From the spirit of the day, I learned that being American was about being independent in thought and deed while respecting the needs of others. Independence is a theme that still tugs at my heartstrings.

Independence as a value has largely disappeared from the national dialogue. This is unfortunate, because many independence lovers are “values” voters. Since the Reagan years they have steadily voted against their own interests for the sake of principle. These aren’t undecided voters. These are people who want to made decisions for themselves. They don’t like being told what to think. The way to attract voters who value independence is not by behaving like Republicans.

How many words has Barack Obama spoken during this campaign? Hundreds of thousands? Yet we obsess over 25 words that he recently uttered about Americans’ bitterness with the way their government has let them down. And we act as if his entire essence is determined by these 25 words alone.