On July 4, 1776, a new nation was founded; a constitutional republic, a representative democracy, which set out to rectify the political, economic and social errors of the history of peoples and nations. In truth, America is a political experiment in a peoples’ ability to govern themselves by participating in government. There were challenges from our beginnings; changes sought or status quo. But change comes too soon for some and not soon enough for others. In this regard, Benjamin Disraeli counseled, “The art of progress is to ensure change amid order and order amid change.”
The work of the American nation continues to this day. The balance of states’ and federal rights remains a crucial issue as it strikes at the heart of individual rights for all. Slavery was one of the errors rectified 89 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and early in our 247 years of our brief history. A civil war was fought over these two issues of states’ rights and slavery; a war fought in large part between Americans of the white race, for varied reasons. Farming technology would eradicate the utility of slavery within a half decade. However, the issue of states’ rights would persist to this day. As we celebrate July 4, 2023, there are no Americans of the Black race who are enslaved or know someone who was a slave. In fact, there haven’t been slaves of any race, ethnicity or religion in America in nine generations, 158 years. Yet, slavery in Africa among indigenous Black and brown people is still practiced!
The Declaration of Independence and the American Civil War, as well as numerous legislated laws, policies and practices opened the opportunities for freedom, justice and prosperity for all Americans of all skin colors, ethnicities and religions. It is an individual’s responsibility to make the best of the political, economic and social freedoms America offers. And this does not involve trampling the individual rights of other Americans. What I mean by that is we must be wary of the opportunistic tendency in human nature to push a good victory beyond its originally intended objective. This causes backlash and the effective diminishment of the original objective — socially, economically, politically and even militarily. This in turn causes confusion among supporters of the original objective and division within the family of Americans; division sought and fomented by enemies of the American family — foreign and domestic.
The Fourth of July celebrates the self-determination of a people to be governed justly and fairly by those legitimately elected, and the right of an individual to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without the burden of oppressive government. Laws, social rules and traditions are established to ensure the compatibility between the individual and society. Treading the thin line between states and federal rights determines national stability and prosperity. What mediates the dichotomy between these claims of rights is the individual’s God-given heritage as a free person and persons.
The American principle is: to each, according to his or her ability and effort, and to all, according to charity and the common good.
So, how would you implement this? Our founders and framers of our Constitution were learned and experienced people who studied and culturally experienced world history. We learned from them, and our own experience, that aggregate proportionality of effort, talent and knowledge, builds the America that we all enjoy to the level we rise to. This should never be supplanted by the illusion of equity not earned, diversity before merit and forced inclusion in one’s private domain. There is a reality that must be realized and is best expressed by a young Silicon Valley entrepreneur: “Few people build the world that many people live in.” Let the individual reign. Let America be America for the benefit of all.
We are all created equal in the sight of our Creator, but we are all created with free will and we evolve differently. We make choices and must make the best of what we are given for a great purpose that serves our world and us personally, as difficult as that may be. I do not know the true agenda behind what social movements practically mean by diversity, equity and inclusion. If we allow the force-fitting of this slogan onto individuals or into society, it will cause further social division, long-term economic disadvantage and political stupor for the nation and for all. The long-held dream of truth, justice, fairness, opportunity and charity has evolved and will happen naturally, willingly and peacefully in the fullness of time and experiences, and without the instigation of anti-American ideological movements, groups or political cabals that have had their turn at governing people … and failed.
There is no other holiday that celebrates the continuing political, economic and social success of America than the Fourth of July. There are days to celebrate or memorialize events in our national, religious, ethnic, cultural and racial histories. But it is the Fourth of July, the day that celebrates our beginning and our journey to independence, the day Americans declared that we are a free people — all of us, the day that drives us to fight wars to preserve our freedom and to support freedom for many people around the world.
The Fourth of July celebrates the day we won; the day we decided to build that “shining city upon a hill.”
Albert L. DiMarcantonio is a retired Navy captain and a naval aviator from Williamsburg.
