Happy Fourth

This, I have to admit, is weird. A Wednesday off to celebrate the birth of a Nation. It should go without saying that this isn't just any nation. This is one of the only ones on the planet with an official start date. One day it was 13 colonies, the next, a country. Other places enjoyed (or suffered) revolutions, but this is the first to come out of it as a country.

Canada never really had a start date. More like an evolution. That's why in Canada, if July 1st (Canada Day) falls on a Wednesday, the holiday is moved to the Friday. That way, Canadians get a long weekend, instead of a day off in the middle of the week. I'm not saying one is better than the other. Indeed, hump day off is nice in that weird way. And those times when the 4th falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday virtually guarantee a four day weekend.

So here we are. July 4th. A nation celebrates. Only, last night I watched Sicko. And around that, I'm reading "A Tragic Legacy" by my new favorite political writer, Glenn Greenwald.

It's perhaps the combination of these two things that has me wondering about the future of this country. In the movie Sicko (which I urge you to see), Michael Moore asks: "Who are we?". Meaning, who is America?

He does it after a sequence that will leave shaking your head in utter disbelief. It's near the end of a movie that will anger you, sadden you, make you feel hopeless and hopeful, and make you laugh.

Today this country celebrates a birthday. But if you're reading a book that explains plainly what makes George Bush and his supporters tick, and you just watched Sicko, it's worth reminding oneself of the possible greatness of this land.

America is about potential. It's about hope. And yet right now, there appears a movement afoot designed expressly to leave only fear and hopelessness. And I wonder when America breaks out.

Happy Birthday America. Thanks for taking me in. I promise to keep hoping for the best.