Long Live The Spirit of ‘76
by Brother Rogers
Today, July 4th, we celebrate the words of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. Imbued with the revolutionary fervor now referred to as the Spirit of ’76, he penned “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.”
Anyone who has watched a segment of Jay Leno’s Jaywalking, where he asks simple history questions that befuddle bystanders on a street, knows that many Americans do not know why we celebrate July the 4th. It is important that we know and understand our country’s history.
Independence Day is important, not just because it marks the separation of the United States from Great Britain and the creation of a new nation. It is important because the form of government that was created, democracy, changed not only the continent of North America, but truly the world.
The ideas and institutions created by the Founders have become the model for economic and political success in the modern world. Representative democracy swept away monarchical dynasties in Europe in the 1800s. In the past century, it defeated fascism in Germany and Japan and communism in the Soviet Union.
The verdict of history is in. The formula for success in the global economy of the 21st century is representative government where the people elect their leaders, a market economy where the people make millions of financial decisions, a secular state where the people choose individually how they will worship, and the rule of law that presumes equal justice for all.
This conventional wisdom of today was anything but conventional in 1776. It was revolutionary, risky, and highly improbable. Looking back through the lens of history, the outcome of the American Revolution seems inevitable. In fact, it was not. Freedom has triumphed through the years, but has often been challenged.
This experiment in self-government was tested from Valley Forge to Vicksburg to Vietnam. Abraham Lincoln wanted to insure that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” John Kennedy pledged that “we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
The generations of Americans before us have kept the Spirit of ’76 alive. We have a political legacy and heritage, begun on July 4, 1776, that we must keep alive. That starts with voting.
In this election year of 2008, I have heard some say there are no worthy candidates running for president. Barack Obama could be this generation’s John F. Kennedy, and he represents change at a time when many think America is on the wrong track. John McCain is an experienced leader and a bona fide war hero ready to lead America in a time of war. We dishonor the Spirit of ’76 when we do not take the time to educate ourselves and vote.
When asked what kind of government America had created, Benjamin Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” He meant that a healthy democracy depends upon the active and informed involvement of the people. As we eat barbeque and watch fireworks today, let us also remember the Spirit of ’76 and do our part to ensure the continued success of the American experiment.
Brother Rogers is a guest columnist for the Starkville Daily News and works for the Stennis Center for Public Service.
Today, July 4th, we celebrate the words of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. Imbued with the revolutionary fervor now referred to as the Spirit of ’76, he penned “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.”
Anyone who has watched a segment of Jay Leno’s Jaywalking, where he asks simple history questions that befuddle bystanders on a street, knows that many Americans do not know why we celebrate July the 4th. It is important that we know and understand our country’s history.
Independence Day is important, not just because it marks the separation of the United States from Great Britain and the creation of a new nation. It is important because the form of government that was created, democracy, changed not only the continent of North America, but truly the world.
The ideas and institutions created by the Founders have become the model for economic and political success in the modern world. Representative democracy swept away monarchical dynasties in Europe in the 1800s. In the past century, it defeated fascism in Germany and Japan and communism in the Soviet Union.
The verdict of history is in. The formula for success in the global economy of the 21st century is representative government where the people elect their leaders, a market economy where the people make millions of financial decisions, a secular state where the people choose individually how they will worship, and the rule of law that presumes equal justice for all.
This conventional wisdom of today was anything but conventional in 1776. It was revolutionary, risky, and highly improbable. Looking back through the lens of history, the outcome of the American Revolution seems inevitable. In fact, it was not. Freedom has triumphed through the years, but has often been challenged.
This experiment in self-government was tested from Valley Forge to Vicksburg to Vietnam. Abraham Lincoln wanted to insure that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” John Kennedy pledged that “we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
The generations of Americans before us have kept the Spirit of ’76 alive. We have a political legacy and heritage, begun on July 4, 1776, that we must keep alive. That starts with voting.
In this election year of 2008, I have heard some say there are no worthy candidates running for president. Barack Obama could be this generation’s John F. Kennedy, and he represents change at a time when many think America is on the wrong track. John McCain is an experienced leader and a bona fide war hero ready to lead America in a time of war. We dishonor the Spirit of ’76 when we do not take the time to educate ourselves and vote.
When asked what kind of government America had created, Benjamin Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” He meant that a healthy democracy depends upon the active and informed involvement of the people. As we eat barbeque and watch fireworks today, let us also remember the Spirit of ’76 and do our part to ensure the continued success of the American experiment.
Brother Rogers is a guest columnist for the Starkville Daily News and works for the Stennis Center for Public Service.