Independence Day

We hold these truths to be self-evident…

History has proven them to be anything but.

If we genuinely care about this ‘grand experiment’ in democracy, we must actively participate in it.

We must take action and we must vote to ensure everyone feels they are represented by those who put life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness above everything else.

This past Tuesday was our primary election day in Illinois, and the picture I chose for this blog was purposeful. Sadly, the turnout for this important event was abysmally low.

Since declaring our independence, we’ve always been trying to ‘form a more perfect Union’, despite a rocky start and diversions along the way.

While many of us revere the writings of the Founders, they were not perfect men, nor did they live in perfect times, nor did they have the experiences and access to knowledge that many of us take for granted today.

What they did have was a vision for a more perfect Union. The framework for our Constitution goes back to our Independence Day. I urge each and every one of you to read the words of that Declaration again today. It wouldn’t hurt to read our Constitution again, either.

Here are links to both: Declaration of Independence: A Transcription | National Archives & The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription | National Archives

For years, I’ve celebrated our Independence Day with all the pomp and circumstance the Framers intended. As I got older, I learned more about Americans who did not feel that they’ve achieved the ideals set forth on July 4, 1776. These groups continued to be marginalized for decades and centuries after, even to this present day.

Today, a new group of our citizens is feeling that same disenfranchisement.

Those ‘truths’ Jefferson found to be self-evident, were anything but.

For those who thrust this concept of “originalism” as a justification for abridging rights, this is not what America stands for. It never has.

“I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and Constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.”
Thomas Jefferson

Our focus has always been forward, on achieving what the Founding Fathers could not or would not do. If we genuinely care about this ‘grand experiment’ in democracy, we must actively participate in it.

When government no longer represents the governed, when citizens no longer have body autonomy, when one Right infringes on the safety and welfare of any American, we must stand up, we must act.

Change does not happen because of thoughts and prayers, marches and chants, or social media posts. Change happens by voting.

Voting in every election, not just the Presidential elections. In every Local and State election, your voice needs to be heard. The power to elect those who can make change in our laws is given to every single American citizen over the age of eighteen.

So today, you can have your BBQ and your fireworks, or you can have your protests and parades, but between now and November you must educate yourself beyond what your TV or your Party tell you, you must register, and you must vote.

Governing isn’t about appeasing special interests; it is about representing the entirety of your constituency.

The time for partisan politics and winning at all costs is long past.

We all hope for a better tomorrow and that change will come, but hope is not a plan.

Take action. Vote as if your future depends on it.

Just as it did in 1776, your actions can change the course of this Nation and bring us to where ALL of us are equal, all have the same Rights and responsibilities, and all feel represented by those who put life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness above everything else.

I will still celebrate our independence today, not to honor the past, but for the opportunity to create a better future and a more perfect Union.

The New King George

July 4^th is my favorite holiday.

Not for the fireworks and the BBQs, but for the history and the meaning.

A band of patriots had enough with Great Britain and set forth to chart a new course for a new country. Beyond the “facts … submitted to a candid world”, “appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions”, they laid out an ideal and a plan for something the world had never seen before.

The Declaration of Independence set the foundation for our Nation and the freedoms and rights that are defined within and inherent to it and our Constitution.

Unfortunately, after nearly 250 years, we still struggle with the concepts.

While to many of us, the truths Jefferson referenced have always been self-evident, to far too many they are not.

Too many Americans still do not know what freedom is, and too many do not understand that they are still not free.

The United States has only 5 percent of the world’s population, but accounts for 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. For some, their only crime is poverty.

There are laws being written and implemented today that restrict rights to health, to happiness, to vote, and to gather.

Our ‘leaders’ are no longer representative of the People, but career politicians funded by special interests and big business. The Founders warned of a divisive two-party system, but we paid no heed.

Regardless, there are still citizens today without full representation in Congress.

For all who continue to fight against change, against respect, against people and circumstances you do not understand or agree with, you are not only on the wrong side of history, you are the antithesis of what the Declaration was about. You are the new King George.

For the rest of us, the true patriots, we can solemnly celebrate today, even though we must continue to work to form a more perfect Union. We understand that change is not only inevitable, it is necessary, and that none of us are truly free if any of us cannot or do not experience freedom.

There is still a long path ahead of us, and we are at a crossroads. We can either watch 245 years of this Grand Experiment end in failure, or we can “mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor” to support and defend the very ideas and ideals we celebrate today.

Let us choose to honor the strength and their sacrifice of those visionaries, along with all those who have fought valiantly in the name of Freedom.

The world is watching; our very future depends on it.

July 4, 2020

We cannot feign respect for our flag, for our country, without showing respect for each other.

“It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more”
John Adams

“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.”
Thomas Jefferson

I have written several times that the 4^th of July is my favorite holiday.

The words, the ideals, written in the Declaration of Independence inspired the birth of a new nation, extolling a government of the People. A government that derives its just powers from the consent of the governed.

I celebrate excitedly each July; the Grand Experiment in democracy…the birth of the United States.

For as much as we can admire the Founding Fathers, they were not without flaws. They were not asking us to idolize them, or even emulate them; they were asking us to believe in them, in the ideas and actions that would change the world.

“They loved their country better than their own private interests; and, though this is not the highest form of human excellence, all will concede that it is a rare virtue, and that when it is exhibited, it ought to command respect. He who will, intelligently, lay down his life for his country, is a man whom it is not in human nature to despise. Your fathers staked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, on the cause of their country. They were statesmen, patriots and heroes, and for the good they did, and the principles they contended for, I will unite with you to honor their memory.”
Frederick Douglass

These conditions do not have to be binary.

We can look to the past with a critical eye, but together we have an opportunity to create a better future.

While the American Dream has been good to me, Jefferson’s truths have not been so self-evident for everyone. Equality has been only a dream for too many for too long. We’ve struggled as a nation to live up to those ideals. We’ve fought, both in courts and on battlefields, for or against equal rights, and equal justice, for all.

That history is just as much a part of our present as it is our past.

244 years later, we still struggle with discrimination; in race, religion, gender, sexuality, and much more.

“Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”
Edmund Burke

Not only is it incumbent upon us to listen, to learn, and to educate, we have to respect our differences.

Ours is a nation of diversity, of disparity, but it shouldn’t be one of inequity and inequality.

We cannot feign respect for our flag, for our country, without showing respect for each other.

For all those who have fought, and continue to fight, for freedom, liberty, justice, and equality, I am grateful for your passion, commitment, and service.

I celebrate today, with pride and patriotism. Not blindly, but respectfully, not just to the past, but for tomorrow. The America I celebrate is the shining city upon a hill, where we teach history based not on what’s in fashion but what’s important, where everyone lives in freedom and equality. It has been only a dream for far too long. Join me in working towards making it a reality. Our celebrations will be that much more meaningful when we can truly share them with everyone.

July 4, 2018

Today is my favorite day of the year.
As a patriot, my love of this country is not about party, it’s not about a specific person, or group, or political belief. It is about the ideas set forth on July 4th, 1776 and cemented with our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Patriot:

a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.

Today is my favorite day of the year.
Yes, I love summer. Yes, we all enjoy a day off.
Neither of those is the reason, however.

It was 242 years ago when a group of patriots declared their independence from Britain. This was more than a revolution, it was a cause.
A belief that all men are created equal; endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.

They set forth not only to dissolve the bonds to Britain, but to create a new form of self-government, in which the government derives its just power from the governed.
This grand experiment had never before been attempted. Change in leadership had always been from violence, or change never happened.
Their idea, our government, was based on a peaceful transition of power. Open and fair elections for all citizens to participate and a free press to speak truth to power. Those powers purposefully separated between executive, legislative, and judicial branches; each equal; none above another, and assigned oversight for each other. The real power lies within the People of this great nation.

Today, those truths are not as self-evident, and sometimes truths aren’t evident at all.
The power of the People has been diminished by the power of the dollar.
The press, while still free, is not as independent, thanks to media ownership rules, and battling a campaign labeling different or opposing views as fake.
The oversight among branches of government has been largely sidelined by partisan loyalty.

Despite the challenges, we still are the oldest existing nation with a constitutional government in which the people elect their own government and representatives.
Our Republic is facing crisis, but the foundation is solid. We, The People, must continue to use our voice, we must vote for Country over party, we must retain our Rights, and ensure that the Founders concept for a government of the People, by the People, and for the People shall not perish from this earth.

As a patriot, my love of this country is not about party, it’s not about a specific person, or group, or political belief. It is about the ideas set forth on July 4th, 1776 and cemented with our Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Too often, politically, we see opposition for one as support of another. We should look beyond petty loyalties, and look to underlying belief. What is best for the country may not always align with your political view, but patriotism isn’t about politics, it’s about country.
So today, as we wave the flag and watch the fireworks, take a moment to reflect upon your own patriotism. Can you put your love of country ahead of a person or a party? Can you accept that we all have been granted the same Rights, enjoy the same freedoms, and believe in the ideals so beautifully expressed 242 years ago? Are you willing to mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor, as the Founders did?
We must put aside our differences, move beyond our divisiveness, our contempt, and our political loyalties. Please take a moment to read the Declaration of Independence today as a reminder not just of our shared past, but of our common future, as the United States of America.

Have a safe and happy Independence Day.
Happy Birthday to the United States of America!

Today is not just about freedom and liberty. Today is about our Rights and the place of government to secure those Rights; the Rights of the People…the governed.

241 years ago today, 56 brave men signed a document that would forever change their lives, and the course of world history. It was a treasonous act that put each of them, and their families and friends, at great risk.
On that date, July 4, 1776, these representatives from the colonies declared their independence from Great Britain, dissolving the political bands which had connected them with each other.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident” they boldly stated, although at the time, and since, it’s never been completely self-evident. In today’s divided political climate, even the ‘truths’ are questioned.
Yet, the grand experiment that began 241 years ago today is still running. Despite our differences, we unite behind our flag and those famous words that changed the world.

“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.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.”

Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. These are our unalienable Rights. Our government exists to secure those Rights.
Let that sink in for a moment.
We tend to forget the role of government, and where its responsibilities lie. Today should be a reminder of why we declared our independence, what we expect from our government, and why it is imperative to hold it, and ourselves, accountable.

Eleven years after the Declaration was written, we drafted our Constitution, solidifying our form of government and defining its charter:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
In a time when monarchies were the norm, our Founding Fathers decided on a form of self-government. The government’s purpose was to guarantee our Rights.
Many years later, Jefferson wrote about the Declaration: “all eyes are opened, or opening to the rights of man. the general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth that the mass of mankind has not been born, with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately by the grace of god. these are grounds of hope for others. for ourselves let the annual return of this day, for ever refresh our recollections of these rights and an undiminished devotion to them.”
A poignant reminder from the man who wrote some of the most powerful and significant words in American History. Jefferson died just a few weeks later, on July 4, 1826.
Those who signed the Declaration of Independence knew how significant their actions were, and pledged “to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor” “for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence”
So today, and on every July 4, let us refresh our recollections of these Rights, what they truly mean, and pledge our undiminished devotion to them.

Today, as we celebrate, as we share with family and friends, as we bask in the glory of freedom and fireworks, remember what today is about.
It’s not just a Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. It’s not just the founding words of a new nation conceived. It’s not just about freedom and liberty. Today is about our Rights and the place of government to secure those Rights; the Rights of the People…the governed.

‘Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed’

Today, remember the bold actions of those 56 men. Remember the powerful words that reshaped the world. Remember the man who wrote them, and honor his life’s devotion to this Great Nation and respect his passing 191 years ago today.
Today, 241 years after that unanimous Declaration, we remain free; not just from the words and actions of those 56 men, forever etched into our history by their signatures, but from the countless men and women who have defended this Nation, and our beliefs, for generations.
Today is a celebration of our Freedom, our Liberty, our Rights, and a solemn reminder of those who believed in them, defended them, and continue to protect them.

Thank you, Mr. Jefferson. Thank you to the other 55 representatives who signed the Declaration of Independence. Thank you to all who have served to protect and defend our Constitution, our rights, our freedoms, and our lives. May God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

July 4, 2015

“The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,”
Much more than just words on a page. They are ideas, ideals and rights.
It is not just about the birth of this great Nation, it is about how we accomplished it.

“The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,”
So starts one of the most important documents in our history.
Much more than just words on a page.   They are ideas, ideals and rights.
It is not just about the birth of this great Nation, it is about how we accomplished it.
We didn’t just become free, we desired freedom. We didn’t just fight to be free, we declared our intentions. We aired our grievances, and laid the foundations for our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and way of life.
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
Each person signing this document was committing an act of Treason against Great Britain, an action punishable by death.   With this Declaration, and the actions that followed, the thirteen colonies would forever be free.
While each colony may have been different, we stood as ‘one people’.
Our differences make us unique, but our beliefs unite us.
We are united in our commitment 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.”
A new Nation was formed with a new government: “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
‘Just powers from the consent of the governed.’ Perhaps some of the most important and sometimes overlooked words in the Declaration. Our government only has certain powers. Those powers are granted by the people. We cannot forget that the government doesn’t give us rights, they are ours.
Liberty and Freedom are still important tenets of our lives. Every day, brave men and women put on uniforms and risk their life defending our beliefs.   They don’t fight for our government, they fight for our People. Every day, I’m thankful for all who work tirelessly to protect and defend our freedoms.
We remain a diverse people; it is one of the things that makes these United States great. We will always have our differences, but we must always bring with them respect. Respect for other opinions, other cultures, and other ideas.   Our rights come responsibilities, to ourselves and to each other.
As we celebrate today, remember the reason, remember the risk, and remember the sacrifice.
Above all else, remember our rights and that the protection of those rights is the responsibility of the government. We must continue to ensure that the People, and our Rights, come first.
After 239 years, we’re still learning, but with continued trust and respect, this government of the People, by the People and for the People, shall not perish from this Earth.
Happy Birthday, America.