I just wrote some of the following on Bob Beatty’s substack page that’s dedicated to the work he’s done in his book “Live at the Fillmore”…that’s about the creation of one of America’s iconic musical organizations, the Allman Bros Band. This is my expanded reflection on what Bob wrote about July 4 and freedom.
My reflection on this day in our history...160 years ago this morning the little town of Gettysburg was surrounded by and filled with something no other American town has ever experienced...over 53,000 dead and wounded soldiers...who had just fought a battle that would create the version of America we would live with going forward. One Nation with no slaves at all...or 2 nations...one with human beings who are property...with slaves… or one without any slaves...no more human property.
It would take over another year of death and destruction to get to the result. One country. No slaves.
Over the past 160 years more freedoms have been fought for...mostly at the ballot box, through protests, marches and organizing people and legislation to achieve more results for women, people of color, gay and trans folks.
But violence is with us again...and men marching with tiki torches who follow the white supremacist beliefs of the KKK and Nazi's who want to protect monuments to RE Lee and other Confederate leaders who lost their war to create a slave owning nation in 1865 are active and a threat to our democracy.
On July 6 I'm going to be in Gettysburg at a conference of the Braver Angels organization...to document a debate about monuments to slave owners. I'm very curious to see how it goes...160 years after that town witnessed the largest land battle ever fought on this continent ...followed months later by the greatest speech a President of ours has ever made. Lincoln’s brief and eloquent address set up our American future promising and foreseeing movement towards equality and freedom for all. Many Americans have given their lives fighting for freedom at places like Normandy and Iwo Jima
Enjoy this day dedicated to Freedom