Happy Fourth of July
By the Editorial Board
While many of us will be celebrating the Fourth of July this year, hopefully safely with family, friends, and fireworks, it’s important to remember what the Fourth of July actually celebrates. The Fourth of July marks the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence; however, more than that, it celebrates the birth of an idea. A revolutionary idea to materialize the progress of the enlightenment and cement the inalienable, God-given rights of man as the core of a republic. That same republic has changed since 1776, with millions of more people, vastly more territory, and profoundly more opportunity and equality. However, through these changes, both radical and small, the foundational principles of freedom, equality, and justice for all, have never changed.
To understand America as an idea, it’s first essential to understand what America isn’t. America is not an ethnic group bound by a common history and language. A country like France can derive its identity from a collective experience of language and history that stretches back thousands of years. America, on the other hand, has been around officially for 243 years. In those 243 years, this country experienced the most diverse example of mass immigration in recorded history. So, where does America find its identity? What does it mean to be an American? Who is American?
In short, being an American is simply the subscription to the self-evident principles of freedom, equality, opportunity, and justice upon which our country was founded. It is a belief in due process, in equality in opportunity, and in protection from tyranny of all types. Being an American is not contingent on race, religion, economic status, or anything other than a firm belief in those principles. It is this identity, when coupled with a foundational document that insists on the freedom of expression, assembly, and representation, that gives America the ability to change in practice, but not in foundation. America represents freedom, it represents opportunity, and it represents equality. At its core, America is about the individual and their rights. As an idea, America has been, and always will be, great.
However, we would be remiss and foolish if we didn’t acknowledge that America has not always lived up to its fundamental principles of freedom, equality, and justice for all. Slavery existed when our Constitution was written, non-land-owning men could not vote, and women weren’t even considered. However, the same country and principles that initially denied people their God-given rights set them free. While our first battles as a country were fought for freedom from foreign tyranny, our country’s bloodiest battles were fought against our own tyranny. America has its ugly blemishes, and it has its ever-present scars, but ultimately, America has always been able to adapt and overcome its struggles. It is in this ability to change and adapt that we at The Conservateur take refuge from the perceived unbridgeable differences this country claims to have.
However, our ability to change and overcome is contingent on our ability to speak. This country’s strength in diversity of thought, experience, and history is also the source of some of its most challenging problems. We must recognize that, and not be afraid to engage in conversation that is neither easy nor comfortable. As this country’s history will tell you, we’ve defeated tyranny abroad and at home. If any country is capable of solving our complex domestic and global problems, it is the United States of America. We can have our differences in opinion over the current status of our republic. But the core ideas of individual freedom, equality, opportunity, and justice that bind us all together as Americans are and have always been great.
On this Fourth of July, we found one quote by Ronald Reagan particularly compelling. “We’re blessed with the opportunity to stand for something, for liberty and freedom and fairness, and these are things worth fighting for, worth devoting our lives to.” It is up to everyone to preserve the best of America, but also to fight for a better America. Happy Fourth of July!
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