Flags, Music, & Basketball: Juneteenth Op-Ed

Parents and other spectators gathered for summer league basketball on a mild evening at Park Place in Upper Gwynedd Township. They offer tidbits of advice and encouragement to their children, while bemoaning missed calls by the referee.

Across the spacious park, a free concert belted out tunes to a joyful, eclectic mix of local residents. About 100 feet away from the basketball net, a gathering of people carrying small American flags listened to tributes in honor of the stars & stripes on this Flag Day.

One parent in the bleachers says, “Music, flags, and basketball. What more could you want?”

This recent picturesque afternoon, while a bit pollyannaish I’ll agree, is the quintessential scene that families envision when they dream of moving to the suburbs. However, in some communities in Montgomery County, there are organized forces of regular folks who want to keep particular segments of the American population out – namely low and moderate income earners and minorities.

We won’t stand silently and allow this to continue to happen. Everyone deserves the right to a safe, affordable place to live with good schools and access to good jobs. Levittown is a not-so-distant and painful memory.

America is a better place when everyone has a chance to achieve their dreams.