Photo by Holly Mindrup on Unsplash
At Pasco’s Grand Old Fourth of July Parade in Pasco, something happened to me that I’ll never forget. I'm a Christian father of several children and a veteran of eight years. I am a longtime local educator, and some might consider me a community leader due to the projects I work on and the boards where I serve.
While my accolades may be inspiring to some, it was one woman who left me inspired and moved this Fourth of July.
My family and I arrived early in front of Memorial Park to watch the parade, as is tradition. We go every year to kick off the festivities and watch whichever of our kids is in the parade.
As the parade wound its way towards us, I was standing with my family near the Grandstands and the judging booth. The Young Marines marched up and stopped in front of the Grandstand for inspection, and a woman began to sing the Star Spangled Banner. I tapped my children, reminding them to put their hands over their hearts toward the flag.
In front of my family stood two kids and a woman, their mother. I heard the children ask their mom, “What do we do?"
She responded, “You don’t have to do anything.” So they went on playing quietly without acknowledging the flag.
As the song ended and the lyrics faded into “…and the home of the brave!”, the woman audibly booed and held her thumbs down. She made eye contact with no one, holding her own, private protest.
The boo didn't shock me or anger me. July 4th hit much differently this year. The MAGA movement had just railroaded their Big Bad Bill through Congress, ICE was viral again for ripping a six-year-old child away from her mother as they left immigration court, and many of my fellow Christians were silent about these tragedies while celebrating a man who defies every moral they claim to represent.
With this in mind, I didn’t wear the red, white, and blue to see my son and his scout troop in the parade. Instead, I opted for some veteran wear. While I don’t boast of my service, I do still remember an America populated by the free because of the brave.
As the parade resumed, I reached out and touched the woman’s shoulder. She was blending back into the crowd as just another participant in a community celebration, but she was much more than that to me.
“Can I shake your hand, please?” I asked her.
She seemed nervous and confused. Reluctantly, she complied. I could see her confusion and her guard going up. I felt like I could almost read her mind at that moment. What was this middle-aged veteran doing after she had openly booed the flag?
“Thank you,” I said. “I am glad you’re here. I appreciate you, I see you, and I have your back. You are not alone.”
Then it was over. I can’t live out her fear or pain. I don’t know how to fight the fight she lives every day. But I can love her. I can show her Christ’s love. I can see her in her pain and love her through it. I can see the bravery she exemplifies: to boo and protest, to fight for a better life, and to attend a celebration she can’t celebrate.
She’s a mom, colleague, friend, daughter, sister, cousin, neighbor. She has friends and family who have to face some of the same fears she’s fighting. And she showed up. She showed up for her kids. She showed up for her community. She shoved that fear down and spoke up for her truth.
Her bravery lingers still in my mind and heart. What fears did the colonists push down to pour tea into Boston Harbor? What fears did Paul push down to ride that night when the British were coming? What fears did Harriet overcome as she conducted her railroad?
We are the home of the free because of the bravery of women like this — a woman who stood in a crowd of red, white, and blue to boo a flag representing a country that no longer feels like it upholds the hopes or dreams she expected it would.
She stood alone, but we have her back. She will never stand alone again.
