Words Matter More than Ever this Independence Day
July 4th is the perfect time to reflect on the freedoms afforded to us by this great nation. As we barbecue, frolic in the sun and toil in our much deserved repose; we must reflect on the goodness of this nation. The past two weeks have been extremely difficult for those of us who are Constitution loyalists. As the Supreme Court of the United States has made same-sex marriage and Obamacare the law of the land, we struggle to find the balance to accept, not necessarily embrace, such decisions conferred to us by the SCOTUS.
We are a country currently divided by many social issues. We are a country currently divided by race, ethnicity, religion, and economic status. We struggle to find the love of country and the relevant past, that focused on the goodness shed by those whose devotion to the country superseded the very things that now divide us. It is so important to understand that love of country unites us in the darkest hours. Abraham Lincoln understood this tenet profoundly, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Truer words have never been spoken. President Lincoln understood that words mattered in times of overwhelming division. George Washington understood this principle as well; as he commandeered his men not only to battle against the world’s greatest power, but the elements and logistics of an overwhelming war; “Remember that it is the actions, and not the commission, that make the officer, and that there is more expected from him, than the title.” Those words probably catapulted many a weary soldier to march onward to victory.
More than ever words matter. The words spoken to us via the Declaration of Independence are not to be parsed and disseminated only when one group of activists seek to advance their position or narrative. All Americans should clearly embrace the words of liberty and understand the history and context of those words.
If the conservative side has failed to advance their principles, then they need to look inward and reflect on the missed opportunities of sharing the spoken words of the men whose signature on that document was nothing short of a death sentence. When I read the Declaration of Independence the following text reinforced what I believe is the heart and soul of the declaration;
“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”.
These words jump at me and grab me in a way that only scripture can.
When words spill from the mouths of haters and those whose only agenda it is to continue to create animus among fellow Americans, we “all” must stop and reflect on what we have inherited. A country that has been scarred whipped and chained to oppressors. This young country, has, corrected its wrongs and has marched steadily to make itself exceptional in accepting many nationalities, ethnicities, religious groups, and races. A country that has embraced choices for many that other nations would never accommodate. Americans can burn their own flags, lay down to sleep and awake the next day without fear of retaliation. The haters and dividers among us will never see that. Often those of us, who by birth, have the right to see the goodness of the greatest country created by God fail to do so. Alexis de Tocqueville saw this greatness in America. His words wrung true then and ring true today, “Americans are so enamored of equality, they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.”
Think of those words when the haters come and the dissenters march!
