“Today we celebrate our Independence Day!” President Whitmore in Independence Day summarized it perfectly. When faced with an advanced life force hell bent on destroying earth, humanity unites to fight for our right to live. We say that art imitates life. And also life imitates art. The images, ideas, myths and thoughts we consume become who we are.
We are living in an incredibly divisive time. Not just in America but throughout the world. We are choosing our side, staking our claim and deciding that the other side is the enemy of good.
It’s now more important than ever to be incredibly careful with the words we choose and the images we endorse. What we say, see and think become who we are. Are we the voice of unity or divisiveness? of peace or revolt? of love or hate?
It’s easy to choose sides. It’s fun to join a team. It’s exciting to be part of a movement. But when we choose sides against our neighbors, friends and family, we ultimately harm ourselves. We may think we won the fight because we came out on top but living together is not about one side or the other winning. It’s about both sides winning.
The family tradition of everyone sitting at a meal together no matter what kind of day we had or how mad we are at each other- had a purpose. It reminded us that though we are different from others in our family, we still lived under one roof and it serves us all to do that peacefully. And so- we have one planet.
This Independence Day let’s stand up against the evil of the extremes which is gripping all of our lives and choose unity and peace instead.
