The United States at 250 and the World It Influences: An introduction
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, promulgated in 1776. This seminal document—which has inspired scores of other countries, from Poland to Vietnam— benefited from edits by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. It also, in “deep background,” received the support of such informed and interested women as Abigail Adams (who admonished her husband, and others, to “remember the ladies” — an admonition still, perhaps more, pertinent today).
Men (and women, as Abigail and such women’s rights successors as Sojourner Truth would have diplomatically yet forcefully noted):
Men (and women, as Abigail and such women’s rights successors as Sojourner Truth would have diplomatically yet forcefully noted):
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness [emphasis added]. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed . . . . [emphasis added].
Two and a half centuries have seen epic political, technological, and philosophical changes on this whirling and perpetually troubled globe. Yet the Declaration remains a touchstone for the best aspirations of humankind. As the United States celebrates the issuing of this document—celebrations which themselves have, for many reasons, become controversial—we asked members of the international Persimmon Tree community to send us their thoughts on their fears and hopes surrounding this anniversary. As you will see from reading the Forum, we received many eloquent, moving, and thought-provoking responses—in fact, too many to print in the Forum. We urge all who wish to add to this discussion—so vital in this U.S. election year—to send us their thoughts by using the Comment section at the end of the Forum page.
Kenilworth Gardens, Washington, D.C., photograph by Martha H. Kennedy
A Different Fourth of July in 2026
I rejoiced in 1976, celebrating America’s 200th anniversary on Boston’s Charles River. As the cannons roared to life and church bells rang, the Boston Pops performed Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, with fireworks bursting. The air was buoyant with laughter and singing. People tossed frisbees, played with their kids, and romped with their dogs as American flags waved in the wind.
I’ve lived through many Fourth of July celebrations during turbulent times: the Vietnam War, Watergate, the Iran-Iraq War, and the war in Afghanistan. Politics was often messy, even painful. But I never felt that America’s democracy was in jeopardy.
But now, in 2026, it feels different as we prepare to celebrate July 4th. It’s as though America is echoing the early twentieth century, except this time it is America that is marching, chillingly and deliberately, toward fascism.
I am proud of my country and pray that this move towards fascism is but a glitch to pass through to the other side. Am I reassured by this thought? I’m not sure. The midterm election is months away. Can we afford to wait that long?
Will I celebrate this July 4th, America’s 250th anniversary?
I don’t know.
I only know I am afraid.
I rejoiced in 1976, celebrating America’s 200th anniversary on Boston’s Charles River. As the cannons roared to life and church bells rang, the Boston Pops performed Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, with fireworks bursting. The air was buoyant with laughter and singing. People tossed frisbees, played with their kids, and romped with their dogs as American flags waved in the wind.
I’ve lived through many Fourth of July celebrations during turbulent times: the Vietnam War, Watergate, the Iran-Iraq War, and the war in Afghanistan. Politics was often messy, even painful. But I never felt that America’s democracy was in jeopardy.
But now, in 2026, it feels different as we prepare to celebrate July 4th. It’s as though America is echoing the early twentieth century, except this time it is America that is marching, chillingly and deliberately, toward fascism.
I am proud of my country and pray that this move towards fascism is but a glitch to pass through to the other side. Am I reassured by this thought? I’m not sure. The midterm election is months away. Can we afford to wait that long?
Will I celebrate this July 4th, America’s 250th anniversary?
I don’t know.
I only know I am afraid.
Oakland, CA
Our Country is Broken & In Need of Rehabilitation
I was raised to believe in democracy. As a former military spouse I worried about whether my husband would be sent overseas and never return home. My dream for a better future was established when I completed my college education and received my doctorate in Educational Leadership later in life. Unfortunately, Covid wiped away any savings that I had, and I was forced to work many part-time roles just to barely survive. Today as I watch our country fight a war we did not agree to, I am appalled by our current regime that continues to give us patriarchal lies.
I depend on my measly Social Security check to support me. I have gone to the food bank many times with my roommate, a disabled vet. This is not the America that I voted for. I am fearful of what catastrophe will happen next. On the eve of our 250th birthday, I do not feel confident in celebrating our freedom but rather feel it is being threatened. Our country is broken and in need of rehabilitation, and that begins with us, the voters.
I was raised to believe in democracy. As a former military spouse I worried about whether my husband would be sent overseas and never return home. My dream for a better future was established when I completed my college education and received my doctorate in Educational Leadership later in life. Unfortunately, Covid wiped away any savings that I had, and I was forced to work many part-time roles just to barely survive. Today as I watch our country fight a war we did not agree to, I am appalled by our current regime that continues to give us patriarchal lies.
I depend on my measly Social Security check to support me. I have gone to the food bank many times with my roommate, a disabled vet. This is not the America that I voted for. I am fearful of what catastrophe will happen next. On the eve of our 250th birthday, I do not feel confident in celebrating our freedom but rather feel it is being threatened. Our country is broken and in need of rehabilitation, and that begins with us, the voters.
Pittsburgh, PA
A New Declaration of Independence
It looks as if “We the people” are finally realizing that we have been had. We’ve moved from oblivious to apathetic to passively discontented to concerned to alarmed and angry. Some of us have wondered just how far our citizens can be pushed before they push back. I think we have reached the brink.
Pushing back, without a vision of where we want to go, might be an invitation to anarchy. Instead, let’s look at this 250th anniversary as an opportunity to reframe our way forward in the context of lessons learned over the past two and a half centuries.
“Freedom from,” “freedom to,” and “responsibility for” must walk hand in hand. Now is the time to revisit our national objectives, examine what has worked and what hasn’t, and lay out a new path.
Let’s declare our independence from chaos, corruption, and misinformation. Let’s reaffirm our freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. And let’s remember that it is our duty to stay informed, to understand, and to participate in our own governance.
We can fix this.
It looks as if “We the people” are finally realizing that we have been had. We’ve moved from oblivious to apathetic to passively discontented to concerned to alarmed and angry. Some of us have wondered just how far our citizens can be pushed before they push back. I think we have reached the brink.
Pushing back, without a vision of where we want to go, might be an invitation to anarchy. Instead, let’s look at this 250th anniversary as an opportunity to reframe our way forward in the context of lessons learned over the past two and a half centuries.
“Freedom from,” “freedom to,” and “responsibility for” must walk hand in hand. Now is the time to revisit our national objectives, examine what has worked and what hasn’t, and lay out a new path.
Let’s declare our independence from chaos, corruption, and misinformation. Let’s reaffirm our freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. And let’s remember that it is our duty to stay informed, to understand, and to participate in our own governance.
We can fix this.
Warne, NC
Poets for Peace, photograph by Suzanne S. Austin-Hill
As a woman of eight decades, I search for tenderness in America. And I find it: in the classrooms where kids read their poems aloud; in individual acts of courage and willingness to put ourselves on the line … whether it is a chorus of protest at the sight of a small immigrant child in flimsy clothes being taken from his home in the winter, or in mourning at the denial of truth about our fragile earth: endangered forests and oceans, rivers and lakes. I see tenderness in the devotion of social workers who bring food to families hiding out in fear, afraid to go to work.
Our country was founded on denial of rights to women, to African Americans: founded in a time of slavery. I hear echoes of this past some days: the tears of the Black man who stopped to thank demonstrators on a bridge as we protested the snatching of those with brown skins. This echo resonates.
Yet even now, I also feel hope at gatherings of those who believe that the words “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” can someday, even if not in my lifetime, apply to all living here.
Our country was founded on denial of rights to women, to African Americans: founded in a time of slavery. I hear echoes of this past some days: the tears of the Black man who stopped to thank demonstrators on a bridge as we protested the snatching of those with brown skins. This echo resonates.
Yet even now, I also feel hope at gatherings of those who believe that the words “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” can someday, even if not in my lifetime, apply to all living here.
Minneapolis, MN
I came to America from Malaysia on an F-1 student visa. It took me 17 years to become a U.S. citizen.
To be an American means to be promised life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as stated in the Declaration of Independence. I have made significant progress in becoming Americanized, but I still straddle two cultures— those of my homeland and America. Despite years of immersion in American culture, the feeling of belonging and the desire for meaningful connection remain ongoing processes.
I worry about where we are headed as a nation. Are we heading toward isolation, withdrawing from our historic alliances? Are we being cruel and selfish by cutting international aid and pulling back from initiatives like USAID, undoing the progress made in improving health, poverty, hunger, and infectious diseases? Are we shutting our doors to international students for education and work experiences? The recent crackdown on illegal immigrants has put many naturalized citizens at risk of being swept up in raids, further marginalizing them and making them feel they don’t belong.
The United States has long been a leader in humanitarian efforts, democracy, education, and scientific research. I sincerely hope that we will endeavor to preserve the ideals of our founding fathers, and that humanity’s goodness will ultimately prevail.
To be an American means to be promised life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as stated in the Declaration of Independence. I have made significant progress in becoming Americanized, but I still straddle two cultures— those of my homeland and America. Despite years of immersion in American culture, the feeling of belonging and the desire for meaningful connection remain ongoing processes.
I worry about where we are headed as a nation. Are we heading toward isolation, withdrawing from our historic alliances? Are we being cruel and selfish by cutting international aid and pulling back from initiatives like USAID, undoing the progress made in improving health, poverty, hunger, and infectious diseases? Are we shutting our doors to international students for education and work experiences? The recent crackdown on illegal immigrants has put many naturalized citizens at risk of being swept up in raids, further marginalizing them and making them feel they don’t belong.
The United States has long been a leader in humanitarian efforts, democracy, education, and scientific research. I sincerely hope that we will endeavor to preserve the ideals of our founding fathers, and that humanity’s goodness will ultimately prevail.
Belmont, MA
The U.S. at 250
I tear up when I read the words of the Declaration of Independence and when I hear the words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty (which I was required to memorize in elementary school in New York City.) The assault that has been waged on these ideals has been real and destructive. Some of the damage done by those currently in power, such as the denial of the impact of climate change, the attack on science, and the hostility toward immigrants, won’t be quickly repaired when we elect better leaders. But in spite of everything I have no plans to leave my country. My parents were immigrants, and I could apply for citizenship in Poland and thereby become an EU citizen. But I won’t do that. Because I still believe that we in the U.S. have a better shot at living up to our ideals than anyplace else in the world. In every corner of our country people are proclaiming No Kings. And everywhere people are working hard to elect better representatives in 2026. We don’t have to wait until 2028 for our better angels to emerge. Change is coming.
I tear up when I read the words of the Declaration of Independence and when I hear the words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty (which I was required to memorize in elementary school in New York City.) The assault that has been waged on these ideals has been real and destructive. Some of the damage done by those currently in power, such as the denial of the impact of climate change, the attack on science, and the hostility toward immigrants, won’t be quickly repaired when we elect better leaders. But in spite of everything I have no plans to leave my country. My parents were immigrants, and I could apply for citizenship in Poland and thereby become an EU citizen. But I won’t do that. Because I still believe that we in the U.S. have a better shot at living up to our ideals than anyplace else in the world. In every corner of our country people are proclaiming No Kings. And everywhere people are working hard to elect better representatives in 2026. We don’t have to wait until 2028 for our better angels to emerge. Change is coming.
St. Louis, MO
Greens and Whites, oil on canvas, by Joan Mellon
Separation of Church and State is Entrenched in our Founding Documents: Here’s Why
As we celebrate the 250th year since our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence, it is time we dispel the incorrect notion that this country is a Christian nation based on Christian doctrine. The truth is that America’s founders and writers of its important documents were Deists who lived in the Age of Enlightenment.
Deism is based on the principles of reason, not the revelations of religion. Franklin, Jefferson, Paine, and Washington were Deists influenced by Descartes, Voltaire, Hobbs, Locke, and Rousseau, all of whom championed reason. These great thinkers devised the frameworks of natural rights and social contracts for replacing absolute monarchies and authoritarian institutions with self-governance. America’s founders believed that a Creator “designed” the universe but did not intervene in human affairs. I liken this God to an artist who finishes a perfect work, then leaves it without further alteration or mediation.
Nature and reason transcend miracles or scripture. Paul, who wrote thirteen New Testament books, never met Jesus. The Deists discarded Paul’s theology and considered Jesus himself a Deist.
Reason, not faith, are the precepts on which America was founded—principles which demand that we continue to uphold and defend the separation of Church and State.
As we celebrate the 250th year since our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence, it is time we dispel the incorrect notion that this country is a Christian nation based on Christian doctrine. The truth is that America’s founders and writers of its important documents were Deists who lived in the Age of Enlightenment.
Deism is based on the principles of reason, not the revelations of religion. Franklin, Jefferson, Paine, and Washington were Deists influenced by Descartes, Voltaire, Hobbs, Locke, and Rousseau, all of whom championed reason. These great thinkers devised the frameworks of natural rights and social contracts for replacing absolute monarchies and authoritarian institutions with self-governance. America’s founders believed that a Creator “designed” the universe but did not intervene in human affairs. I liken this God to an artist who finishes a perfect work, then leaves it without further alteration or mediation.
Nature and reason transcend miracles or scripture. Paul, who wrote thirteen New Testament books, never met Jesus. The Deists discarded Paul’s theology and considered Jesus himself a Deist.
Reason, not faith, are the precepts on which America was founded—principles which demand that we continue to uphold and defend the separation of Church and State.
Thousand Oaks, CA
Was it really fifty years ago that the United States turned 200 years old? I can recollect that day so vividly… pregnant with my second child, at a huge barbecue celebration. Breathing in the laughter, joy, smells, and sights of a colorful sky as fireworks created a kaleidoscope of shapes and colors, I felt proud to be an American.
“The land of the free and the home of the brave.” I identified as a Jewish American feminist.
The landscape is different now. ICE has made roughly 393,000 arrests and the Department of Homeland Security reported over 605,000 formal deportations.
A 160-acre community in Arkansas is designed for “whites only.” Only the first.
The list goes on.
Since our current administration, massive changes have occurred. The founding fathers declared “all men are created equal.” Sure, we’d like women included but still—what happened to ALL?
It’s hard to predict what will transpire moving forward. I pray it’s not a total dictatorship. The U.S. is my homeland, and I recognize that, but until all people are truly created equal, I won’t be waving any flags or being celebratory.
“The land of the free and the home of the brave.” I identified as a Jewish American feminist.
The landscape is different now. ICE has made roughly 393,000 arrests and the Department of Homeland Security reported over 605,000 formal deportations.
A 160-acre community in Arkansas is designed for “whites only.” Only the first.
The list goes on.
Since our current administration, massive changes have occurred. The founding fathers declared “all men are created equal.” Sure, we’d like women included but still—what happened to ALL?
It’s hard to predict what will transpire moving forward. I pray it’s not a total dictatorship. The U.S. is my homeland, and I recognize that, but until all people are truly created equal, I won’t be waving any flags or being celebratory.
Kirkland, WA
For me, the daughter of immigrants who escaped Nazi Germany, I need for our country to adhere to the positive democratic values of our Founding Fathers. My parents met in San Francisco at a dance for servicemen. My father had been drafted and proudly served. I have a precious photo of my mother posing, purchasing U.S. savings bond from her employer. My parents valued their citizenship, always voted, and instilled in us a certain pride in being Americans. As kids we grew up pledging allegiance to the flag, grateful for our public education, where my sister and I, first generation over-achievers, could excel in accelerated classes and get college scholarships.
I play mahjong on Mondays with three friends. Two of us are immigrants, two first- generation Americans. All our parents fled persecution. Now, unbelievably, for the first time, our usual lighthearted banter has turned serious because of the rise of antisemitism encroaching on our once safe existence. Vile hate speech spewed at school board meetings, Jewish children feeling unsafe in school, college students threatened: daily worldwide occurrences. One of our group anxiously expressed her fears about where her family could go if they have to leave. I wept.
I play mahjong on Mondays with three friends. Two of us are immigrants, two first- generation Americans. All our parents fled persecution. Now, unbelievably, for the first time, our usual lighthearted banter has turned serious because of the rise of antisemitism encroaching on our once safe existence. Vile hate speech spewed at school board meetings, Jewish children feeling unsafe in school, college students threatened: daily worldwide occurrences. One of our group anxiously expressed her fears about where her family could go if they have to leave. I wept.
Walnut Creek, CA
Cultivate Resistance, photograph by Merry Song
I live in the so-called United Kingdom, having moved from Berkeley to London ten years ago. I write “so called” because this small island nation (approximately 69 million) daily feels ever more fragmented. Anti-immigrant, racist rhetoric deafens; the populist Right is surging; rage bursts forth (e.g., riots in northern Ireland). What’s going on mirrors the U.S.
I cannot escape American realities because I live elsewhere. No one can. I despair for both countries. Add to that my anguish over Israel’s murderousness, felt acutely because as a Jew, I feel implicated.
By temperament, I’m not an optimist. Not surprisingly, I’m beset by despair. But futility is not an option, and I choose to stay in the conversation. The new world order will yield alliances based on our human need to survive and connect. But we will not co-exist as we once did. The balance of power will shift as new global alliances form. Climate catastrophe and technology will re-make realities.
Human nature will not fundamentally change, however. Our species will remain as it is now, a mixture of the best and worst imaginable. Let’s hope the majority of global citizens choose life and figure out how best to navigate it.
I cannot escape American realities because I live elsewhere. No one can. I despair for both countries. Add to that my anguish over Israel’s murderousness, felt acutely because as a Jew, I feel implicated.
By temperament, I’m not an optimist. Not surprisingly, I’m beset by despair. But futility is not an option, and I choose to stay in the conversation. The new world order will yield alliances based on our human need to survive and connect. But we will not co-exist as we once did. The balance of power will shift as new global alliances form. Climate catastrophe and technology will re-make realities.
Human nature will not fundamentally change, however. Our species will remain as it is now, a mixture of the best and worst imaginable. Let’s hope the majority of global citizens choose life and figure out how best to navigate it.
London, UK
I was born in California in 1952. My mother was a Canadian citizen, but based on my birthplace, I was a U.S. citizen. Studying nights and weekends, my mother became a naturalized U.S. citizen two years later. I have a newspaper clipping from her swearing-in ceremony, as well as her Certificate of Naturalization. Those documents were important to her because they represented a new beginning, a country that embraced change as much as she did, a society that strove for a better life for her generation and the next.
In the 1970s, my mother fought for the right to unionize at her workplace. She lost her job and the union vote, but she was proud of the effort she made regardless of the outcome. If my mother were alive today, she would be disturbed at what the U.S. has become, a nation divided instead of united. If she were alive today, she would support me on the picket line as I protest for immigrant rights, women’s rights, and No Kings. My mother is alive in me today.
In the 1970s, my mother fought for the right to unionize at her workplace. She lost her job and the union vote, but she was proud of the effort she made regardless of the outcome. If my mother were alive today, she would be disturbed at what the U.S. has become, a nation divided instead of united. If she were alive today, she would support me on the picket line as I protest for immigrant rights, women’s rights, and No Kings. My mother is alive in me today.
Oakland, CA
Tangerines
My very smallest aspirations are buying organic milk again—and tangerines, letting their zest fill my kitchen with memories of picking them warm from the tree. But the economics of politics slaps me in the face each trip to the grocery store, and I put store brand milk and bananas in my cart instead.
This is a heart-breaking time. The Oval Office covered in gold leaf, the East Wing demolished, the Washington Monument soon to become a backdrop for the arc de trump. Core human rights and principles of our democracy dismantled or reversed, the once separate but equal branches of government in the hands of a single puppeteer whose mouth we can see move yet not believe.
I’m not hopeful that I’ll be buying tangerines soon, but I have hope in the sweep of human history. Even if we lose this democracy, the seeds of freedom and justice, equality, and inalienable rights are hard to kill, able to survive underground for generations, even centuries, and reappear.
Where we are in 2026 makes where we were in 1776 all the more remarkable. Maybe where we are is an example to other countries. If it can happen here…
My very smallest aspirations are buying organic milk again—and tangerines, letting their zest fill my kitchen with memories of picking them warm from the tree. But the economics of politics slaps me in the face each trip to the grocery store, and I put store brand milk and bananas in my cart instead.
This is a heart-breaking time. The Oval Office covered in gold leaf, the East Wing demolished, the Washington Monument soon to become a backdrop for the arc de trump. Core human rights and principles of our democracy dismantled or reversed, the once separate but equal branches of government in the hands of a single puppeteer whose mouth we can see move yet not believe.
I’m not hopeful that I’ll be buying tangerines soon, but I have hope in the sweep of human history. Even if we lose this democracy, the seeds of freedom and justice, equality, and inalienable rights are hard to kill, able to survive underground for generations, even centuries, and reappear.
Where we are in 2026 makes where we were in 1776 all the more remarkable. Maybe where we are is an example to other countries. If it can happen here…
Savannah, GA
Still, photograph by Jane Berger Herschlag
As I awaken, my first thought is often,“What crazy thing will this administration do today?” I never had such angst in the past. As a baby boomer, I have experienced assassinations, 9/11, and Covid but now face the possibility that our 250-year-old democracy will fail.
America has weathered other divisive times in 80-year cycles—the Civil War, and two world wars. Each day we witness the slow dismantling of our democracy, the loss of our standing in the world, cultural shifts, our Constitution ignored, and the imprisoning of families without due process. This trajectory is quicker than anyone imagined; the blatant grifting and cruelty are difficult to swallow. It is disheartening to see the reversal of the progress we have made.
I aspire to leave this world a better place and attempt to do so by staying informed, sharing information, contacting my representatives, and protesting. While watching the news, I am often in tears with grief and frustration; at times it feels like daily PTSD. There is so much work to do to undo what this administration has done. Hope lives because we have come through other tough times and “We the People” will indeed prevail!
America has weathered other divisive times in 80-year cycles—the Civil War, and two world wars. Each day we witness the slow dismantling of our democracy, the loss of our standing in the world, cultural shifts, our Constitution ignored, and the imprisoning of families without due process. This trajectory is quicker than anyone imagined; the blatant grifting and cruelty are difficult to swallow. It is disheartening to see the reversal of the progress we have made.
I aspire to leave this world a better place and attempt to do so by staying informed, sharing information, contacting my representatives, and protesting. While watching the news, I am often in tears with grief and frustration; at times it feels like daily PTSD. There is so much work to do to undo what this administration has done. Hope lives because we have come through other tough times and “We the People” will indeed prevail!
Denver, CO
I am extremely distressed by the current situation. We are going downhill fast. A news junkie, I find I can no longer listen to the news. I’m horrified by the wars being waged in Ukraine, Iran, and Sudan, and especially by the genocide being committed by the Israeli government. The election of Donald Trump was a tragedy for the whole world. I am particularly worried about climate change and all the disastrous decisions made by Executive Order in favor of the fossil fuel industry. I have four grandchildren. I hate the fact that they will inherit such a mess. We all need to be aware that our democratic system is in serious danger. I believe in speaking out. This is what we all need to do. If you agree with me, contact your representatives, especially those of you living in “red” states. Americans deserve better. The whole world deserves better.
Arlington, MA
It is very evident that the behavior of people does not reflect the words of the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago. Here in the UK, as everywhere on this precious planet of ours, there are greater extremes of wealth and poverty, more disunity, and more mental instability that too often erupts in violence and anarchy.
We have lost our souls and the belief in ourselves as individuals, equal before everyone and, in particular, [before] our God, who has given each one of us equal value and the right to live freely and happily.
My belief that each one of us is spirit within a physical body helps me to think positively about the future. As evil is unleashed, and nature cries out to us that things are not right, we might well think we have reached a tipping point where there is no going back. Going forward is therefore the only option. My thoughts that for everything there is a reason and an opportunity to learn give me hope for the future.
So have heart, keep fighting for what you feel is right and true, and above all, with all that changes, find the positive—because it will be there.
We have lost our souls and the belief in ourselves as individuals, equal before everyone and, in particular, [before] our God, who has given each one of us equal value and the right to live freely and happily.
My belief that each one of us is spirit within a physical body helps me to think positively about the future. As evil is unleashed, and nature cries out to us that things are not right, we might well think we have reached a tipping point where there is no going back. Going forward is therefore the only option. My thoughts that for everything there is a reason and an opportunity to learn give me hope for the future.
So have heart, keep fighting for what you feel is right and true, and above all, with all that changes, find the positive—because it will be there.
Laxfield, Suffolk, UK
Swamp Iris Dreams, three-dimensional multimedia, by Janice Lynch Schuster
Fear and Hope in a Chaotic Year
Most women in my neighborhood belong to the local Republican Women’s Club. When Trump won last November, I was invited to a victory brunch. Although I politely declined, I heard later that one guest denounced me as a rude sore loser.
We used to vote at the fire station, but recently, they switched us to the dining room of a nearby country club. Intimidating tables for eight, no cardboard privacy dividers. Fear of social suicide might have kept me home, but as an Independent, I much prefer Democrat Doug Jones when the Republican candidate is Tommy Tuberville.
Four people sat behind the check-in desk, and three were neighbors. “Republican or Democrat?” one of them asked. “Democrat,” I muttered, hoping my life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness would continue to exist. How sad!
But hey, there’s hope. If George Wallace could repent and apologize to Vivian Malone and James Hood, maybe Trump will manage to apologize to James Comey and countless others, then climb a ladder to remove his own name from The Kennedy Center. Only problem is, it took Wallace 20 years to come around, and Trump probably doesn’t have that long!
Most women in my neighborhood belong to the local Republican Women’s Club. When Trump won last November, I was invited to a victory brunch. Although I politely declined, I heard later that one guest denounced me as a rude sore loser.
We used to vote at the fire station, but recently, they switched us to the dining room of a nearby country club. Intimidating tables for eight, no cardboard privacy dividers. Fear of social suicide might have kept me home, but as an Independent, I much prefer Democrat Doug Jones when the Republican candidate is Tommy Tuberville.
Four people sat behind the check-in desk, and three were neighbors. “Republican or Democrat?” one of them asked. “Democrat,” I muttered, hoping my life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness would continue to exist. How sad!
But hey, there’s hope. If George Wallace could repent and apologize to Vivian Malone and James Hood, maybe Trump will manage to apologize to James Comey and countless others, then climb a ladder to remove his own name from The Kennedy Center. Only problem is, it took Wallace 20 years to come around, and Trump probably doesn’t have that long!
Birmingham, AL
Age Of Aquarius
If you grew up at any time in the 1960s, you may have been inspired to believe that the Age of Aquarius was possible, that peace and love would guide the planets, the power of flowers would ground us to the earth, and we could live in true harmony. We want to imagine these things, although the hippie culture only lasted for about a decade. How some of us yearn for that utopian world. How some of us need to believe that in order to keep on breathing. We want the earth to be our home with true empathy abounding.
Is it too naive to keep believing?
If you grew up at any time in the 1960s, you may have been inspired to believe that the Age of Aquarius was possible, that peace and love would guide the planets, the power of flowers would ground us to the earth, and we could live in true harmony. We want to imagine these things, although the hippie culture only lasted for about a decade. How some of us yearn for that utopian world. How some of us need to believe that in order to keep on breathing. We want the earth to be our home with true empathy abounding.
Is it too naive to keep believing?
New York, NY
Still the Wren Sings
The light leaks through the branches dappling my path through Virginia forests. I hear the timeless words buried in the shadows of soil and root: the scolding cry of a blue jay, the chatter of a squirrel, the insistent and furious trill of the wren.
Some only see land to be clear-cut for expensive housing, timber turned into flooring. They do not see the memories held in the earth: the farmers who raised pitchforks against the redcoats, the enslaved running beneath the trees toward freedom, blue and gray drawing lines in meadows turned red.
The leaves still quiver with grief remembering the psalms read at dawn and the songs of hope sung at twilight’s last gleaming.
Yet after 250 years, bluebells push through the ground at Bull Run as if nothing happened there.
A bugle still calls Taps; a small flag flutters in the wind. Men and women gather to hold each other’s grief. At Arlington the flame burns through another night.
Beneath it all, roots continue their slow work.
I do not know where we are going. But after 250 years, the wren still greets another morning with song, and perhaps that is reason enough to hope.
The light leaks through the branches dappling my path through Virginia forests. I hear the timeless words buried in the shadows of soil and root: the scolding cry of a blue jay, the chatter of a squirrel, the insistent and furious trill of the wren.
Some only see land to be clear-cut for expensive housing, timber turned into flooring. They do not see the memories held in the earth: the farmers who raised pitchforks against the redcoats, the enslaved running beneath the trees toward freedom, blue and gray drawing lines in meadows turned red.
The leaves still quiver with grief remembering the psalms read at dawn and the songs of hope sung at twilight’s last gleaming.
Yet after 250 years, bluebells push through the ground at Bull Run as if nothing happened there.
A bugle still calls Taps; a small flag flutters in the wind. Men and women gather to hold each other’s grief. At Arlington the flame burns through another night.
Beneath it all, roots continue their slow work.
I do not know where we are going. But after 250 years, the wren still greets another morning with song, and perhaps that is reason enough to hope.
Winchester, VA
Click here to comment.
Trapped in a Tablet
A middle-grade chapter book
by Alice Benson and Greta Benson
Trapped in a Tablet is available from Amazon, Bookshop, and your local independent bookseller.
Nana Was a Bootlegger
A young adult novel
by Alice Benson and Genevieve Benson
Nana Was a Bootlegger is available from Amazon, Bookshop, and your local independent bookseller.
Grandmother Alice Benson wrote these two books with her granddaughters Greta, 12, and Genevieve, 14. The collaboration gave all three a chance to share their imagination, curiosity, creativity, and a sense of adventure, qualities that young people have in abundance, but that many of us seem to have less and less of as we age. They represent a grandmother’s quality time with her granddaughters, critical discussions of important topics and, most importantly, the creation of beautiful memories that will last long into the future. For more information, visit Alice’s website, alicebensonauthor.com.
Suzanne S. Austin-Hill of Ruskin, FL, earned degrees in Mathematics Education and Sign Language Interpretation. Her poems have appeared in Of Poets & Poetry, CADENCE, Verse-Virtual, Haiku Shack Magazine, LifestylesAFTER50, Silver Birch Press, TELEPHONE, and the Stafford Anthology. Her poetry book, Sixty-seven Pages from the Heart, was published in 2019.
Jane Berger Herschlag’s full-length poetry collection, When the Mouth Can’t Speak the Body Will, is published by Finishing Line Press. Bully In the Spotlight, her 40-page docu-poetry chapbook is published by Pudding House Publications. Jane taught creative writing/poetry; and curated the open mic reading series for the Writer’s Voice, NYC, and later in Danbury, CT.
Martha H. Kennedy received a B.A. and M.A. in art history and an MLIS from UC Berkeley. While working at the Library of Congress, she curated/co-curated exhibitions of illustration. She also curated exhibitions at several art museums, and published articles and the book Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists.
Joan Mellon is a painter whose work is in private and public collections. She’s participated in one-person and group exhibitions and earned her BFA from School of Visual Arts and MA from SUNY Empire State University where she has been an adjunct mentor. 
Susan L. Pollet is a visual artist and author whose works have appeared in multiple art shows and literary publications. She studied at the New York Art Students League, has been a member since 2018, and resides in NYC.
Janice Lynch Schuster is 63 years old and lives in the Annapolis MD area, where she works full-time as a writer for a large consulting firm. Her essays and articles have appeared in publications such as The Sun Magazine, The Washington Post, Poet Lore, and The New York Times.
Merry Song of Eugene, OR, is discovering that the older she gets, the more fascinated she is with Mother Nature in all her forms. Looking closely at what is right in front of her comes easily to her now. At the same time, she carries on with her joy of leading spiritual writing workshops for those willing to come out of hiding.
Terrifying. What happens in the US seems to trickle down to all of us, we the less significant countries, and the dismantling of democracy and the rise of fascism seems to be happening all over. Here in South Africa we are experiencing a wave of xenophobia, kicking out poor (not the rich expats, mind you!) illegal immigrants that come here desperate for jobs. I believe some have been thrown into prison without checking whether they have legal status. It is hard to stay optimistic with all this happening all over the world.
I have an intense case of apathy about this year’s Fourth of July festivities and the BIG birthday our nation is celebrating. It’s difficult to feel happy and joyous at a time when our Constitution has been shredded and basic human rights and freedoms have been violated. We are subjected daily to lies, corruption, fraud, and gaslighting with no end in sight as our Congress is comprised of cowards and the Supreme Court does the bidding of a wannabe dictator. And so, I will not celebrate this year. I will wait until this nightmare is over ( and it will be over at some point with considerable, even irreparable damage and destruction left in its wake), and we can truly come together as “One Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL.”
On this, our Nation’s 250th anniversary, I have hope for our future. I ask everyone to put down their swords and cease their belittling of their opponents and come together in peace.
Our Declaration of Independence advises that all men are created equal and that they have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Let us remember these words each time we are tempted to engage in ‘us over them’ thoughts or actions.
We are all precious in God’s sight, let’s behave in that manner going forward and we can truly live in a country that works for all.