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America -- land of the free.
Much has been written of our vaunted liberties, although admittedly some more than others ... some decrees in the Bill of Rights, such as free speech and the right to bear arms, receive tons of discourse compared to other important guaranteed freedoms, such as not being subjected to cruel and unusual punishments, like in-laws.
We digress.
One of the more significant parts of the Bill of Rights that receives comparatively little attention is the 9th Amendment; namely that "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."
This Amendment has been used as a basis for Roe vs. Wade, as probably its most significant contribution, although the Amendment itself is rarely referenced when discussions of abortion or women's rights surface.
A simple way of regarding the 9th is this: The people have more rights than are enumerated in the Constitution.
To our point: There is a lot of hype and focus in today's world about the rights of the individual. Sometimes it feels like what rights a person has (or does not have) is determined by who shouts the loudest: "Freedom to" and "freedom from" battling it out for control of the loudspeaker.
But what about our collective right to agree, or, perhaps even more importantly, our collective right to disagree?
Consider our right to treat others as we wish they would treat us -- not listed in flowing legal script, but no less binding if you want to be thought well of.
As a society, perhaps due in part to the rise of social media amplifying the famed American independent spirit, we have become overly focused on the rights of the individual.
This is not to defraud those rights. No. They remain inalienable and unassailable, if perhaps in need of an update for the 21st Century.
But there must be a regard as well for our collective rights as a group of social creatures.
Treat each other well.
Return shopping carts instead of leaving them sit in the parking lot.
Don't litter.
Be patient and understanding.
Respect others' personal space.
We all want to live in a decent public, clean and orderly society, yet one that's reflective of and embracing of the differences that make America "the melting pot."
This Independence Day, remember your neighbors.
Some of them may not share your religion, ethnicity, views on abortion or guns or, dare we say it, views on politics.
But they choose to share with us the air we all breathe together in this tiny patch of dirt we call home.
They do all choose to share the same roads, the same aisles at the grocery store, the same gloomy Januaries.
It can be so easy to focus on the freedoms that divide us that we miss the freedoms that bind us.
A toast, to our neighbors -- and our freedoms.