 Despite all the fireworks and the BBQs, the question that bothers remains: is conservative America getting too liberal?
“... all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it ...”— The Declaration of Independence
HOW was this Fourth of July different from the rest? Well, 227 years later, America has given its gays their “right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” and all came out of their closets to celebrate the nation’s birthday that had finally accepted their sexual orientation. In the most “libertarian” opinion declared by the Supreme Court in the last 100 years, the majority of justices pronounced that “gays are entitled to respect for their private lives” which when translated into real terms means they can adopt a child, hold a job or get a government benefit.
It will not be too long before America allows same-sex marriage. After all, Canada does!
A lava of scalding dissent came from the disagreeing Justice Antonin Scalia who accused his colleagues of taking sides in the “culture war” by signing on to the “homosexual agenda” and “effectively decreasing the end of all morals legislation.” Incensed and disgusted, he said that most Americans “do not want persons who openly engage in homosexual conduct as partners in their business, as scout masters for their children, as teachers in their children’s schools or as boarders in their homes.”
And what do Americans have to say on the most controversial issue of this century?
Starting with President Bush who told the press: “Let’s let the lawyers look at the full ramifications (same sex marriage) of the recent Supreme Court hearing. What I do support is the notion that marriage is between a man and a woman.”
A mother of three, one of them a homosexual, says that the “direction a person takes is determined by nature.” She fully supports her son, while another disagrees and thinks that even “adultery and other deviant sexual practices” should be declared illegal. Whatever, the Supreme Court’s landmark decision will have a profound and sweeping impact on how life is lived in this land of the “free” in years to come.
Sure enough, at a sleepy railway station in the suburbs, on July 4th, as I stood to catch a train to New York, there in full view were two adolescents locked in an embrace, oblivious to the world around. No one was bothered with the public platform display by the two men. Couples with young children just looked elsewhere or stood and stared at the rail tracks, hoping to catch the first sight of the incoming train.
Men and women, hitherto politically correct and therefore silent but not “straight” have come out in the open to admit that they are gay. While Vice President Dick Cheny’s daughter — it is an accepted fact — is a lesbian, another young woman, Chrisy, daughter of Dick Gephardt — one of the eight Democrats standing for President of the United States — announced recently that she is gay and that her father has even accepted her partner and now she will join her dad’s election campaign to elicit gay votes.
America is a conservative society. And a private one too. Ordinary Americans just go about their lives — busy doing whatever they have to do. While they plan celebrations around special days, the Independence Day, is by far their favourite. A day before, at the local supermarket, the mood was definitely festive and the trolleys loaded with party stuff for the traditional July 4th barbecue. From the star spangled flags to balloons, from the choicest meats to the richest sauces laced with spice and all things nice, from a hundred varieties of salads down to ice creams and much more, the cookouts with all the fancy BBQ paraphernalia, Americans, young and old were on a shopping spree.
To be honest, I envy the American spirit. Nothing appears put on or contrived. The nation celebrates its birthday with a bang — rain or shine. Families and friends come from far to get together and have a ball. An elan that seems direly missing back home in Pakistan. Our clowns of the day, act as if they are direct heirs of the Quaid and carry his legacy. Weeks before August 14th arrives, the hapless public has to put up with a phony show of patriotic fervour sickeningly staged each year wrapped in the Pakistani flag.
They lecture, they sermonize, they pledge allegiance to the flag, they promise the downtrodden, the world and later retire to their glass palaces for their private fests while the ‘downtrodden’ drive around in whatever form of transport they can afford to feast their eyes on the illuminations — just for a night out with their families and friends. Earlier, school children from government schools are brought in droves to pay homage to the Father of the Nation or fill up the space around government functions to show the chief guests their ardour. Never mind if the burning August sun is beating upon their frail frames mercilessly, or they happen to be dehydrated by the heat or get a touch of sun stroke.
But in America, it’s a different story. School kids come out to enjoy the Day with their families and friends. The schools have no role. Nor should they. Celebrations are spontaneous and not sarkari!
Bumper sales in America are the best on July 4th weekend. The whole of America is on sale! Want to buy a sofa with a ‘love seat’? No big deal — you’ll get the best for half the price in those five days! But hurry you must, otherwise, prices go back to their original on Monday. And what’s more, if you pay cash, you get another 5 per cent off! This is what makes America — the richest country in the world — tick.
Consumerism is so infectious, that rarely is anyone immune from it. The inviting advertisements are the pied-pipers that lure you to the stores and get you to open up your wallet because the markdowns are simply too tempting to walk away from.
But first the town parade: rain or shine, the whole town comes out, with umbrellas and chairs to line the road closed to traffic in the morning. This year, the sun was literally smiling after days of soggy weeks. Despite the temperatures steadily soaring into the nineties, it felt really good to be outdoors and breathe in the bonhomie and the old-fashioned air prevalent everywhere.
“Honouring America’s Heroes” was the theme of this year’s parade. Exactly at 9.30 in the morning, sirens went off and the parade commenced. (Unlike Pakistan, where the chief guest is perhaps still sleeping and couldn’t care less about the waiting hoi polloi). More than 65 men, women and children — went past in their floats and marching bands. The local Fire Department, First Aid squads, military and civic organizations all participated. Leading the parade was the modest mayor of our town with no frills attached and no airs to throw.
As the afternoon was winding down, one saw a cluster of cars around leafy homes and people seated on the decks around the barbecue grills or the swimming pools content in breaking bread.
The July 4th barbecue is an affair rarely missed.
By the time, the sun was down and daylight coming to a close, there in the skies were fireworks, zooming up only to open up like umbrellas with a million cascading jewels.
Proud to be an American is written large on faces of all ages when July 4th comes.
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