Like most of the U.S last night, I watched “Hamilton” with my family. It was wonderful, especially the supporting actors and the music itself. Of course, being so close to July 4, the story of one of the major players of the American Revolution has inspired some thoughts.
The founding fathers had their warts. Many were slave holders who’s love for enlightenment ideals did not line up with their love for no cost labor backed up by anti-federalism. This hypocrisy, is America’s original sin and we are still feeling the effects of it almost 250 years later.
One thing that can’t be argued, and has to be admired, is the courage that the founders operated with. This courage, to break away from a parent country, led by a tyrannical monarch and parliament set a tone for a country that was built on radical change. For the first time in centuries, a group of people succeeded in breaking away from autocracy and formed a republican style of government. Had they failed, all would have been executed.
This type of courage shown on July 4, 1776, has been inspirational to Americans and to people around the world. The ideas of self-determination that inspired the founding fathers, have served as inspiration for the disenfranchised that were left behind at the Constitutional Convention a few years later. Since the founding of America, abolitionists have fought to hold the government accountable for the self evident truth that “all men are created equal.” The women’s suffrage movement and fight for the Equal Rights amendment sought to expand on that ideal, as does the LGBTQ+ movement. The struggle for civil rights, and the end to systemic racism, seeks to uphold and expand on equality for all. Additionally, the United States is a nation of immigrants who bravely left an old world behind, in search of better lives and opportunities in a country that preaches self-determination. Watching “Hamilton” was a reminder of the radical change that the founders envisioned that required them to be brave and form something out of nothing, because they knew the the future needed to be better than the present or the past.
In 2020, it feels like America has lost this bravery and courage that built this country. Being involved in sports means I hear the national anthem quite a bit, at least 50 times of year. The last line sticks out the most to me, “…the home of the brave.” Too many people now live in fear. Fear of radical change that will help level the playing field for all Americans. Fear of others being better off than them. Fear of what we could be.
Why do we allow ourselves to live in fear? Why do we always look towards the past for how we want our future to be? Sure, there are elements of the past that align with how progressives see the future, but there’s a lot of our past that we can learn from and improve on. The founders demanded that we constantly reevaluate ourselves and work towards equality.
We clearly aren’t there yet, therefore, radical changes to our institutions are necessary. This ability to change was built into our government institutions and encouraged by the founders, but when the institutions themselves are working against change, the institutions must be changed. Do not let fear rule the day. Progressive changes to end systemic racism, end voter suppression, increase congressional representation by allowing in D.C as the 51st state, and reassessing how the fed spends will drastically increase equality and be more in line with the enlightenment ideals that the founders were trying to establish in this great American experiment.
So happy fourth. We have done a lot for a country that has only been around for 244 years. Remember, “we are not descended from fearful men.” (And women, love ya Abigail Adams). Celebrate and reflect on how we uphold the ideals of equality and the rule of law in 2020 and remember that acknowledging our own flaws as a nation and being willing to change, is part of growing a better future for all Americans.
Thanks for Reading.
John
She's Worth It 