By Larry Fedewa, Ph.D.
(Washington DC, July 3, 2020) The original poem was written in 1960 and proved remarkably prescient of the events to follow in the eventful 1960’s. It was the basis for this poem which was written in 2012, at the height if the Obama era, and has proven predictive of events up to the current civil unrest. It expresses, I think, the challenges we face today when our very freedom is stake.
The hallmark of America’s genius since July 4, 1776 has been our ability to conceive and follow as our guiding star, our God-given right “to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” A major component of this ideal is “equal justice under the law”, which has seen a long, slow, and costly struggle, including a war which cost more American casualties than all the other wars combined. And we have come a long way since 1776. But not far enough.