Those of us who lived at the time of the nation’s bicentennial in 1976 can, we think, with the passage of time have the ability to reflect fairly on the experience:
• Events of the bicentennial year were a shot in the arm to a fractured and somewhat demoralized nation.
• But those events, in retrospect, did tend to focus rather heavily on the Founding Fathers, rather than eliciting a broader conversation about efforts to, as a phrase in the U.S. Constitution puts it, “form a more perfect union.” There was something of a head-in-the-sand approach to addressing more complicated facets of our national experience.
The challenge for those now planning events to mark the nation’s 250th birthday, from the local level in Arlington and Fairfax on up, will be to develop a broader swath of programming that is inclusive of all, without running the risk that the endeavor runs into the political polarization that seems to once again have enveloped our nation.
A balancing act, indeed. And we wish all the best to those taking the lead, because it won’t be easy.
Want to make the 2026 celebrations enjoyable and productive? Then let’s make a collective pact to be a little more empathetic to others and focused on the big picture – which is as much about the next 250 years as it is about the preceding 250.
Our nation has plenty to be proud of, and some things to be not so proud of. It’s not wrong – in fact, it’s the adult thing – to explore the good and the bad.
Can we achieve an equilibrium? Time will tell.
