Are we really free? equal?

Tomorrow is July 4th, aka Independence Day in the US. A day we celebrate our freedom from British colonial rule. A day we commemorate the day the following sentence was approved by Congress:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

Now, I'm sure that is indeed a good reason to celebrate and don't get me wrong, I love picnics and fireworks and blankets and creative uses of the colors red, white, and blue, but let's think about this for a second, are we really free? are we all equal?

I'm sure there's plenty of people who think they are, but there's still a large percentage of Americans who aren't really free. Let's think about the millions of Americans who are questioned every time they come back into the US, or questioned on a regular basis by their peers because of the color of their skin or the way they dress. Let's think about the millions of people who are in this country fearful for their lives because they might get deported or their children might get deported or anyone they know might get deported. Let's think about the millions of Americans who love each other but are not allowed to get married simply because of who they happen to love. Let's think about the millions of people who don't have health care, who don't have access to proper groceries, who don't have access to a proper education? I don't think we're free, or equal, because in order to be free and equal, that must hold for all Americans.

So this July 4th, let's celebrate, but remember there's still a lot that needs to get done.