After 250 years of the American Revolution, lessons are abundant to preserve democracy
Tomorrow will be the 250th anniversary of a “hearing” shot around the world “that started the American revolution. Next year, the declaration of independence, and with it our nation, will be 250.
How should we celebrate?
This anniversary is not just a country -level party with hot dogs and apple pie. The events that we revive depend on the theater of a new nation, and for the first time in history, they will not depend on race, religion, or geography, but on seeking to achieve democratic principles. The American revolution was an event that changes the world.
Anniversary 250 is a great opportunity to remember and revitalize these principles.
Today, though, some hesitate to celebrate the revolution and establish America because the founders have failed miserably, in implementing the principles that have been brought up on. It is clear that many men who issued an official announcement that “all men were created equal” kept their fellow humans in slavery; Their treatment of indigenous Americans and women add concerns.
The founders’ failure to raise their declared principles also apply to many other basic democratic principles: by 1798, despite the first amendment that guarantees freedom of the press and speech, dozens of people were imprisoned because of their criticism of the president or Congress under the law of sedition.
For years, American leaders have struggled with freedom of religion. James Madison, who was often called the father of law, complained that Congress violated the first amendment when he rented a priest. He said that if members want religious food, they must pay for them, not in tax dollars.
Some states requested a religious section to take office until 1961, when the Supreme Court finally struck.
There seems to be almost endless supplies from other examples, which leads to the “hypocrites” shouts and calls for the burial of this revolutionary history, if not distorted.
However, without reducing failures, there is also a risk of focusing exclusively on shortcomings in the founders.
Abraham Lincoln admitted this that the civil war is looming on the horizon. “Jefferson’s principles are the definitions and the elders of the free society,” but he also knew that America and Jefferson did not correspond to the most important principle: “All men created equal.”
They not only failed to adhere to this principle, but “it was rejected and evaded, without a small offer to succeed.”
Some have mainly celebrated these failures and those who delete slavery. One calls cracks [Jefferson’s principles] “The sparkling generalities”. They are frankly called “intuitive lies”, and others are treacherously arguing that they apply to “superior races.”
The failures are not merely reproach, but it seems that they are validated by the idea that the principles should be merely general, and it is not intended to implement them, or that only superior sweat can do that. Instead of asking that we strive to work more strongly to implement democratic principles, they have become a reason to question the legitimacy of the principles themselves.
Lincoln saw the danger of such a prevailing negativity, describing “the vanguard, miners and Sappers from the return of tyranny.” Installation on failure may lead us to the strength of the principles. The tyranny, tyranny and slavery of millions were the threatened result.
But there is another more powerful story intertwined with failures. Lincoln explained that these principles, despite the failure of the founders, were “reprimanding and swallowing up to Haring from the tyranny of appearance and persecution.”
Thus, women in Cenica in 1848, as they gathered to demand the rights that were strongly rejected (including Jefferson), reported the declaration of independence. Frederick Douglas denounced slavery, citing Jefferson and advertising. In the sixties of the last century, Martin Luther King and black leopards were still quoting the advertisement because they demanded their treatment of fairness.
Millions, here and around the world, despite these failures, transferred Jefferson and the American announcement to demand their rights and struggle for equality that many have rejected.
Today, we are still its shortage and advice for equality, religious freedom, freedom of expression, voting rights and other basic elements of working democracy. However, thousands of people from all over the world take the right of American citizenship every year not because they are unaware of these defects, but because they believe that the principles deserve to be fighting for the sake.
So the 250th anniversary is an opportunity. We can celebrate these ambitious democratic principles on which this nation was founded while realizing failures, as good history and judicial demand. It is also our opportunity to re -renew ourselves to seek these principles.
Today, in the face of many challenges, we can adhere to our nation in freedom of expression and the press, and freedom of religion (Jefferson said that American religious freedom was for the sake of “Jews, Jews, Christians, lawyers, Hindudo and Kafri in each sect,”), voting rights for all citizens, and separating the authorities in the government and other major democratic values.
Martin Luther King wrote the famous and preaching that “the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” But King also knew that the bow was not smooth and did not seem to reach his goal. He warned that the change “comes through the ongoing conflict.”
This is with democratic principles. The Americans, who fought and tied more than two and a half centuries to protect democratic doctrines. We all have to remember it.
With such understanding, there is a lot to celebrate it.
John A. Rajosta, PhD, formerly historian and temporary director of the International Center for Jefferson Studies in Montesso. His latest book is As for the people, the country: Patrick Henry’s final political battle”
