July 7, 1976

'Maturity' Biggest Bicentennial Story

Biggest story to come out of the Bicentennial celebrations, but the least noted, is emergence of a new characteristic of this nation - maturity.

Many commentators tried to make the point that we were a "Young" country still growing and expanding with the vigor of youth.

Such an assertion is a cliché that finally, and fortunately, has been done to death.

Scores of nations in the United Nations are younger than the United States.  Only one other country has operated unchanged under one form of government longer than America - and that is Great Britain which bequeathed us many of the basic principles of law we still observe.

The long holiday of our 200th birthday provided several small, but significant, signs that we have come of age.

For one thing, the "People's Bicentennial" protest was a resounding flop.  The new revolution which was scheduled to begin July 4 attracted only about 5,000 participants - about equally divided between kooks and thrill seekers who had expected a dramatic confrontation.

The "revolution" fizzled like a wet firecracker and finally even the sponsors closed up shop in order to get a good seat at the patriotic fireworks on Washington Mall.

Threats of nationwide bombings by radical terrorists, and destruction of some great patriotic building also pooped out even though /Boston sickos managed to blow out a few windows and wreck an empty plane.

It seems that Americans have come to regard violent demonstrations as a form of childish temper tantrums.  They no longer rush forward with lollipops when junior kicks the furniture.

The ethnic minority groups - blacks, Indians, Chicanos - managed a small measure of enthusiasm after earlier denouncing the whole Bicentennial as a sham.

Finally, there was realization by Chicanos that they are undergoing the typical assimilation process of all previous poor immigrant groups.  The American Indian knows he can enter the main stream of this nation any time he is willing to give up an archaic way of life as all other races have done in the progress of time - just as you and I.

The blacks, who have a legitimate claim to dissatisfaction, grudgingly admit the opportunities to overcome and break down barriers are far greater here than any where else in the world.

History is not all great battles and momentous debates.  The largest part of any nation's heritage is the day to day struggle to improves one's lot.  The harder the struggle, the sweeter the victory.

There is more pride in small gains hard won than in great deeds thrust upon us.  Ethnic minorities may not have taken satisfaction with the past, but they apparently drew from the Bicentennial Celebration a renewal of hope for the future.

The very manner in which the Bicentennial activities were organized and carried out is an indication of our new maturity.

At first, the event was to be a nationwide affair directed from Washington.  A vast bureaucracy of committees was set up to plan and coordinate a grand program.  But the committee couldn't create, as no committee can.  A great deal of money was spent in trying.  In the end, however, the Washington planners contented themselves with issuing news releases and catalogues while local people arranged events to suit their own interests.

It was this "grass roots" organization that made the Bicentennial a huge success.  The ways in which Americans celebrated the birthday was as varied as America.  Parades and fireworks, of course, were universal.  After that there was everything from rodeos to pageants, tobacco spitting contests to symphonic concerts, horse shows to bike races.

The effort fit the mood of our times - a rejection of centralized planning and a return to do-it-your-self.  It's the mark of self-reliant adults rather than dependent children.

The only Washington-planned event that came off well was the "Tall Ships" regatta that ended in New York Harbor.  Of all the Bicentennial events, this drew the most interest.  It was a look backward in time to an era that was fundamental.

Americans discovered their own history last week.  The nation has lived through 200 years of growth that is equal in accomplishment and change to 2,000 years of prior history.  The United States has acquired a rich and absorbing history that is worth the retelling.

Suddenly we crave personal ties to this heritage.  Such identification provides stability and roots in a world grown unstable and rootless.

We have acquired background that comes only after living a long time.  We are not young and brash.  We are mature and thoughtful.

Now we can put the mistakes of inexperience behind us and plan a future with better odds of success.  We have a solid base on which to build.  This, alone, made the Bicentennial worthwhile.

Author: Lindsey Williams