Happy Independence Day! On several occasions and certainly every year in Government class, Ive given lectures and even a lecture series on Liberty. My favorite to research and deliver was a series I gave in Virginia with my Northfield kids entitled, So Help Me God: The Lost Cause of the American Revolution. Dont get excited! I wasnt saying that the Revolution was a loss, a summary of the several talks is that Liberty is not something that was once won so we can sit on our backsides, puffing out our chests, arrogantly saying we figured it all out. Instead, it is something that we must all vigilantly, each generation, understand and defend or it will be lost. The founders, in my opinion, believed that the key to Americas survival was an informed electorate, a humble electorate and a respectful electorate. They knew very much that the most dangerous moment would be when one man thought or pronounced himself better than another. When one man thought hed figured it out. I love the moment of Washingtons inauguration. By now, few know or mention the moment but to me it is huge. Washington upon being sworn in, as his script is complete. He bends over and kisses the Bible and says, So Help Me God. It became part of the oath but think of his heart at that moment. Here is the admission, I cant do this. Humility. I cant do this God. Not with my humanity and my faults. Or with my arrogance. I need your help. And our founders, understood the need for safeguards. They also understood the need for learning. We hear it said today that we wish our politicians understood and had read the Constitution. I agree! But I would take that much further and this was an epiphany one day for me in grad school. I realized a new motivation for the classics, for the Great Books, for even the study of history before the United States. Because, you see, that is what informed our founders. They searched the history of the world, the classics and it all informed the wonderful decisions and moments of the American Revolution. I once compiled some of the more important things they quoted or cited. But wouldnt it be wonderful if our leaders not only knew the Constitution but like our founders, if they humbly went to the things that informed our founders. They would understand much more. . Our leaders and people of today lack context. They drop into history late and they are uninformed and hence they will repeat more mistakes than they should have. I apologize for the long diatribe. I wanted to write something more inspirational but I began to think of the price that has been paid and I thought of things that dont get said rather than repeating the things that are said often. Ill end with this. I love many of our founders but I probably cling a bit more to Washington and Adams. They were far from perfect which gives me hope and gives us all hope. I cannot see the U.S. becoming who we are without Washington. Thats a separate post sometime. But he is the Indispensable Man as James Flexner calls him. His humility and his healthy psyche - thank God for him. Adams, well, I need several posts to discuss this complex man but he was honest, and again flawed. He said things he shouldnt have said. He was too emotional. But, he loved our country so much. And he and his wife Abigail embodied that Puritan work ethic of discipline and duty. Adams and Jeffersons intellect mixed with Washingtons humility and sense of character were a beautiful recipe. In the end, these very different men, realized they were fighting for each other. As so many of you know, Adams and Jefferson who argued often yet renewed a beautiful friendship, died on July 4, 1826, fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Washington had preceded them by 27 years. When Washington died, and it was a blow, people likely wondered if we could exist in a country. But when he passed, his last words were Tis well. When Adams was asked 25 years later, what words he would share with posterity about our founding, he simply said, Independence Forever. As I enjoy the day. I thank God for our country and the people he put in the right moment at the right time. No accident. Im thankful for every patriot in uniform and out that believed it was worth fighting for the preservation of that freedom and liberty. For every ordinary, average person that said this is worth so much. From the heroes at Lexington and Concord to the soldier standing guard in Iraq this very minute to the mother or father who received the worst news, thank you all. My life has been blessed by your willingness to keep this dream alive.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 12:30:22 +0000
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