The color of your skin shouldn’t matter.

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. I always look forward to burgers and hot dogs and watching an array of colorful fireworks illuminate the night sky. 

Throughout the years, I’ve participated in different Fourth of July events around Lake County. I celebrate with family members, friends, and even strangers. Some are from different races, some belong to a different political party, and some were born in other countries. 

Nobody pays attention to our differences. We’re all there to celebrate America, a country whose greatness comes from the melting of many races and cultures into one happy American family. 

I wish such unity existed in all parts of our country. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Identity politics, which divides people into subgroups based on race, gender, sexual identity, and other labels, has reared its ugly head, spilling across the U.S. like toxic sewage. Identity politics threatens to deepen the divide that exists between different groups in society. 

I agree with former President Barack Obama when he said this at the 2004 Democratic National Convention: “There’s not a Black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America.”

That day, he was calling for an America in which skin color didn’t matter. His message clearly did not resonate with supporters of identity politics but may have resonated elsewhere. The 2020 presidential election offers a glimpse of hope that not everyone is buying into this divisive ideology. 

We spent four years hearing how Donald Trump is the most bigoted, homophobic, and sexist man to ever walk the earth. Despite that, he received a larger share of Black, Asian, and Latino votes than any Republican presidential candidate in 60 years. His support among LGBT voters doubled in 2020. 

Yes, the U.S. is flawed.  There have been many despicable acts of racism that leave an ugly stain on our country. Still, at the end of the day, the U.S. has managed to become the most successful multicultural melting pot in human history. 

That’s why we should come together as one on the Fourth of July. Let’s celebrate the red, white, and blue without caring whether the person standing next to us is black, white, brown, or yellow.  

Sincerely,