Last week began with the vague feeling of dread and uncertainty that have become too common in this age of war, economic and social upheaval that is now well into its second decade. A young man decided to enter a historically monumental black church in Charleston and kill nine of its congregants in hopes of sparking a race war. The Supreme Court was due to announce a decision that would harm the health and well-being of millions were they to rule in favor if the plaintiffs, and another that would determine the scope of human rights as understood by modern jurisprudence.
By the end of the week, Southern state houses were removing confederate flags from their masts; symbols that have stood as a bulwark against racial progress for decades. The causes of the Civil War are being revisited without nostalgia, and we are in the midst of a national conversation about race relations that is more honest than we have had since the civil rights era saw an end to state-sanctioned racism and left us with the more insidious versions that any black person who has had encounters with the police knows all too well.
By the end of the week, the Supreme Court had declared that the federal subsidies that 6 million people in 37 states depend on to purchase health insurance were legal, and would continue in perpetuity. A day later, the court ruled that marriage is a right for all couples, regardless of their sexual orientation. All couples, from Massachusetts to Mississippi are now allowed to marry under the authorities of both their county and the states they call home.
It's important to step back and acknowledge that some weeks are good. They may not start out that way. Such a glibly simplistic idea might not look at the larger contexts of war and displacement, poverty and environmental degradation that continue unabated. But some weeks are good.
This week is good too. It's a 4-day work week, ending with our nation's celebration of its independence, and a time to revisit all the trials and missteps that have led us to what we are today, and provide some idea of where we are headed.
We are not perfect. We are not the beacon of justice and equality that we wish we were. We have an odd national habit of making many wrong decisions before settling on the right ones. We are too often ignorant of the rest of the world, and indifferent to the suffering of our own. But this country is good. This country is unrivaled in its people's optimism, and its ability to change the world, whether it be through innovation of products and processes, or through its influence in affairs across the globe.We have immense power for good or evil, and remarkably, is viewed by many, perhaps most, as largely a force for good. No other great power has ever achieved the scale of power, admiration, and genuine respect that the United States enjoys today. Deep pockets of insecurity that are unconscionable for such a rich nation remain among many of our citizens, and we continue to commit grave errors abroad. But on balance, we are good, and we are getting better.
Consider how things looked just a week ago. Things do change, and often for the better. For all our problems, we are a nation that is always getting better, and today the result is a place that is largely good. Next week we will be better. Next week, perhaps, we will be a nation that is great.
