Speculative Stephen

“The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. — I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. — Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.”

-John Adams, letter to Abigail Adams 3 July 1776

John Adams might have gotten the date wrong, but I think we have managed to have a few rays of ravishing light and glory. I hope that in the future we may have a few more of those. We’re pretty good at the “pomp and parade, shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations.” So what is the end [that] is more than worth all the means?”

A “[government] instituted among men, deriving [its] just powers from the consent of the governed” to “secure these rights:” “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Declaration of Independence.

The Preamble of the Constitution expands on the goal:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

This sets the goals of our government: unity, justice, domestic tranquility, common defense, the general welfare, and the blessings of liberty, life, and the pursuit of happiness for ourselves and our posterity.

There is no mention of blood, ethnicity, or background. This is not a nation of blood. It’s not a nation of soil. It’s not a Christian nation. While I do believe Christian principles inspired its creation – the idea of the divine potential of all mankind and the idea that “the truth shall set you free” give meaning to free, consenting citizens selecting their government – coercing people into that Christianity undermines the entire project.

I believe in the United States of America as a nation of ideas, where anyone who is willing to commit themselves to those ideas is welcome. We became great as a nation because of the people we welcomed. We became great because we learned and then taught others these ideals. We will be great and remain great by continuing to teach and invite. We will fail as a nation when we cease to invite and when we cease to teach and strive for those ideals.

We were great not because we achieved these ideals all the time. Most the time we have not. But we have been great at those times when we have striven for them. Allowing ourselves to support weak-minded idealogues for the sake of a temporary partisan win has already proven to be a failing strategy.

No president will save us and now that the Supreme Court has vastly increased the threat of a morally weak president. On this day, think about strengthening our other institutions. Think about constitutional amendments that must be passed to protect us from the morally corrupt men we keep voting into the highest office. Write to your legislators about them. Vote for good people to fill local and state offices. Vote for better congresspeople who will work to pass laws rather than make viral social media posts.