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Back to Martha's Vineyard Index On Patriotism and CommunityTo the Editor: The Fourth of July is fast approaching, inspiring dread in all who brave Island roads -- and in all who think there's more to patriotism than the Patriot Act, flag decals, and standing up for "The Star-Spangled Banner." It's worth remembering year-round, and especially on this particular day, that the War of Independence was a rebellion against legally established authority. From the perspective of king and Parliament, the signers of the Declaration of Independence were traitors, and forget about those guys who dumped the tea into Boston harbor: vandals every one, with appalling disrespect for private property. What a terrible example to set for the children! Last week the Times reported Oak Bluffs' apparently successful effort to shut down the late-night sale of doughnuts from the back door of the Martha's Vineyard Gourmet Bakery and Café. The testimony of customers and vendors suggested that a tradition has grown up around satisfying the midnight munchies -- not only a tradition but a community that includes people of various ages and diverse circumstances. Those who meet for the first time at the bakery's back door may then recognize and greet each other in the grocery store, at the post office, or on the road. Community is something most of us say we're in favor of; maybe we only want it if it doesn't make too much noise? Earlier this year the newspapers reported conflicts between users of the new skateboard park. It seemed the skateboarders and the bikers were well on their way to a compromise, but the town overrode their efforts. Why? Because the insurance policy didn't cover bikes; therefore bikes would not be allowed. Teachers and parents want the kids to learn to resolve conflicts -- but only if their resolutions can be endorsed by the insurance companies? As the Fourth of July draws nearer, I can't help speculating: What if some disgruntled Bostonian of the 1770s had shopped Sam Adams and his cronies to the Crown because they parked their horses in a loading zone? What if the signers of the Declaration of Independence had withheld their signatures because their insurance policies didn't cover acts of sedition? Consider all the events and movements over the last 228 years that have prodded the United States of America closer to realizing the principles on which the new nation was founded. Most involved the breaking, or at least the bending, of a law or two; a smaller or larger rebellion against duly established authority; and -- often the most dangerous of all -- a defiance of local custom. The abolitionists who spoke out against slavery and those who sheltered runaway slaves in their homes did not abdicate responsibility to insurance agents, lawyers, or town officials. They risked being seen as crackpots by their friends and family. As anyone knows who lives in a community of people who depend on each other for their well-being, this is no small thing. I often wonder what I would have done had I lived during the War of Independence or in the decades when the property rights of slaveowners trumped the human rights of slaves. Being in the sixth decade of my life, I have a track record to base my wonderings on. The record, I have to admit, is mixed: sometimes I've gone to the barricades, and sometimes I've choked; sometimes I'm brave, and sometimes I'm unbelievably lazy (and capable of rationalizing all my lapses of courage). Most of us will never be called upon to pledge "our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor" in a historic battle for liberty and justice, but nearly every day offers each of us at least one opportunity to support the principles embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. It's the decisions we make at each of these little crossroads that make us who we are, and create the world we live in. Those principles are worth celebrating, and honor is due to all whose words and deeds and sacrifices have kept them alive this long. It's our job now. Next time you're tempted to play it safe, to appease your conscience with the dictates of lawyers, insurance companies, public opinion, and even the laws of the land, try explaining your decision to Patrick Henry, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King Jr., or the American hero of your choice. See what they have to say. Meanwhile -- have a glorious Fourth. |
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