I Wonder...

I reached that part in the book, The Help, where I could not put it down. I read it on the way to Raleigh to celebrate Independence Day on the Capitol lawn. Fresh in my mind were the stories  being told in the book. Stories of the relationships between maids and the families they worked for in Jackson, Mississippi. A work of fiction, but one that set my mind wondering when added to the exhibits of my day.

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed stating “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” A document for white men. I wonder what is was like for the slaves to read those words? Were woman free to pursue their happiness? I learned today that during the Revolutionary War the wives of the soldiers traveled behind them. They contributed by doing laundry and a few other small tasks. If their husband died, they had two weeks to remarry or they were no longer to travel with the soldiers. I wonder what it must have been like to be a woman during that time. I wonder what it would have been like leaving my home, not knowing if it would be standing or burned to the ground upon my return.

A group of confederate soldiers were encamped on the lawn. I have seen many encampments in my lifetime. However, I have always seen them in the north wearing Union blue. Today, I saw the other side. These soldiers were taking us back to a time when our country was at war with itself. Succession. Slavery. State rights. The south lost the war. A war which stood for things many think of as negative. I wonder what is in the minds of those that recreate themselves as confederate soldiers. Are they good with being part of the United States or would they rather be living in the Confederate States?

In the 1950s a project began to get a replica of the Liberty Bell in every state. Sometime in the 1960s, a decree went out saying that the bells in all 50 states were to ring at the same time on the same day. July 4^th at 2pm. The sound of the bell as it rang throughout the Capitol resonated inside of me. A sound that symbolized freedom. The first year the bells were rung in the name of freedom, many were fighting for their civil rights. I wonder what it must have been like to hear the bell ring in the midst of the struggle? Was it a sign of freedom or was it a reminder of the oppression off 200 years before?

I walked into the History Museum pondering all that I had seen and read thus far in the day. The book I wanted to find time to finish still fresh on my mind. Native Americans, Civil War, Sports Hall of Fame, Child Laborers, World War II, Vietnam War, Iraq War, Furniture, Drugstore, and a few other exhibits kept me occupied for the next hour. I kept expecting to find an exhibit about the role North Carolina played in the Civil Rights Movement. After all, the Greensboro Four took place at the Woolworth’s counter right up the road. I looked for an exhibit about slavery. Nothing. I began to wonder why. Is it uncomfortable? Still too soon? Or is it something that no one has thought important? Or maybe I missed part of the museum.

On this day of the anniversary of our independence, I begin to wonder. Are we all free to enjoy Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness? As a country we have come a long way from 1776, but I don’t think we are there yet. When we can treat each other with kindness and love without judgment, without worrying about whether a person is a democrat or republican; black, white, or some other color; rich or poor; gay or straight; or any of the other way we separate ourselves, I believe it is then that we will see equality of all people become a reality.