can we be independent . . .together?

Here in my part of the world, Reader, we're about to celebrate US Independence Day. 🎇🇺🇸🎉 Sure, you might know it by its more popular moniker, "the 4th of July." (Although really—why do we reduce it to a date? I mean, we don't call Christmas "the 25th of December," right? #rant #wordsmatter). Back in 1776, representatives of the thirteen original colonies declared themselves independent states, breaking away from the British Empire, whose King George had been running the show for a loooong...