By Budd Schroeder

Independence Day is approaching and it is designed to celebrate the birth of our Republic. Many good people fought and died to give America a new kind of government that was different from monarchies and dictatorships. This government was constructed to be "of the people, by the people and for the people." 

It was designed to give freedoms to the citizens who were supposed to be in charge of who would govern. They wanted representatives, not rulers. Yet, there were weaknesses in the origin of the country. The Declaration of Independence stated that "all men are created equal" yet they had a century of slavery. It took a Civil War to end that horrible practice. 

The end of this war created the professional politician who took advantage of the reconstruction of the country. They were the Carpetbaggers and Scallywags and made a lucrative business out of politics. President Lincoln may have freed the slaves, but the politicians did their best to keep African Americans under , strict controls in the South. They politicians in the southern states enacted the Jim Crow Laws which prevented, or at least controlled the freed slaves by discriminatory practices and racism. 

Voting was restricted by poll taxes and requirements that were difficult for black people to pass. There were separate rest rooms and even drinking fountains in public places below the Mason-Dixon Line. Justice came in two different systems, one for blacks and one for whites. The schools were segregated and the manner of educating children was not equal. The politicians created the myth that the schools were "separate, but equal." That was a political myth used as a slogan by politicians. 

It was discriminatory and totally unfair. It took another century for the Jim Crow Laws to be abolished. The laws were introduced by politicians and signed into law by governors and law enforcement was eager to enforce these laws. Brutality was common. Justice was subjective depending on what side of the tracks a person lived. 

Two world wars came in the Twentieth Century and even the military was segregated. Racism was condoned by the government. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had Japanese Americans placed in prison camps because of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the negative feelings about Japan. Yet, there were companies of Japanese-American soldiers who served with honor in the European campaign. 

It started out that African Americans who served in the military before the Pearl Harbor attack were relegated to kitchen duties as cooks or servers. It was highly unusual for any to become involved in regular military duty until the war in Europe and the Pacific was underway. Even then, many of the units were segregated. The African American troops served with honor and the military relaxed their segregated ways. At least they said they did. 

By the 1960's the military had integrated forces, but the military posts below the Mason-Dixon Line still had a problem. The post was integrated, but the cities and towns outside the post were not. White and black soldiers could not go outside the post and have a meal or a drink with a buddy in the local establishments. This columnist had a very unpleasant discussion with the owner of a drive-in carhop restaurant when not served and kicked out of the parking lot because his friend was an African American. It was a valuable lesson learned. 

Even with a Constitution and a shifting in laws, the residue of discrimination still pollutes our society. However, fixing a problem can lead to other ones. One of the biggest problems we face is the one of being "politically correct." This is a situation where confusion abounds. For example, the Second Amendment has been eroded since 1934 and crooked politicians have been trying to destroy it since then. Gun control was born in the South and grew up in the north. 

Talking about the Jim Crow Laws brings up the unpleasant subject of the New York State SAFE act. It was passed literally in the middle of the night with a "message of necessity." This is difficult to justify considering that some of the provisions took a year to implement and some are still not being enabled. It even has a provision that, when enforced, deprives a person of four amendments in the Bill of Rights without due process. Due process is a keystone of the democratic process, yet the inept politicians passed the bill and it was signed into law by the governor. 

The Fourth of July is a day for celebration of the freedoms we should be able to enjoy and they are our constitutional right. We should use this day to reflect, praise the veterans who gave their service to protect those rights and freedoms. We should look to change the political makeup of the state and federal governments by removing the corrupt politicians who are eroding and infringing on our freedoms. 

The freedoms are ours to cherish and keep, or to lose. It is up to us to determine whether we are going to be content with the status quo that is robbing us of values and quality of life. This is America. Let's keep it the land of the free and the home of the brave.