This Saturday on July 4th, as we all know, is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. That day on 1776 marked the birth of a democracy never quite experienced by other countries. When asked about the meaning of this document and its aftermath, former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, stated that the founding of America was an idea more than anything else. Perhaps the sentence of greatest impact on the way the framers saw America is embodied in the following: “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.” Key to the above, the word unalienable signifies that these Rights are natural. that is rooted in human nature and cannot be legitimately taken away or given up.
The American Revolution was the only revolutionary war in modern times where the people came out ahead. The French Revolution, two Mexican Revolutions, and the more recent Iranian Revolution and Cuban Revolutions all failed to improve the status of the majority of its citizens. The French Revolution, for example, resulted in a bloodbath of chaos where a large number of its own people were killed in producing Napoleon, a dictator. As I pointed out in an earlier blog, the founders were well versed in both Stoic philosophy and more modern philosophers, such as John Locke and David Hume. This knowledge enabled them to establish the principles that led to both the Declaration of Independence and the subsequent Constitution that would serve as a framework as to how they wished to be governed.
When Ms. Rice describes the shaping of America as an “idea,” I believe she is saying the idea composed by the words was there in writing but not in practice. Blacks and women were neither treated equally nor in possession of their unalienable Rights until well after the Declaration of Independence had been written. But those words remained, not to be deleted, and they would be instrumental in delivering to minorities their God given Rights as stated in the above. It would take almost two hundred years for the transformation of these principles into an everyday practice in the United States.
Granted there are still prejudices and discrimination but such practices are no longer backed by law. The greatest cynic cannot undue the idea expressed by the Declaration of Independence. As Paul Johnson, observed in his scholarly tome, A History of the American People, Jewish people like myself and our ancestors realized on a certain level, even in colonial times, our existence was fundamentally different than the life of those Jews who lived in Europe. In those countries, Jews had their own legal status, had their own courts and schools and usually lived in ghettos that comprised their own community. Because all religious groups had equal rights in America, the Jewish population did not need to have their own community of laws and norms. Rather Jews were considered equal citizens who could participate in the community without being barred from it. Consequently, Jews in America were organized on congregational rather than communal lines.
In a recent podcast, Coleman Hughes, asked Douglas Murray, a British conservative political commentator, why he preferred life in America or in his native country, Great Britain. The latter responded by saying that in America people cheer for the success and prosperity of others whereas in England, the hereditary influences play a big part in the way people see one another. Murray stated that the English tend to see themselves as stuck in their roles. In America, viewed by many as the land opportunity, those who get ahead are seen as an incentive for others to do the same.
On the other hand, according to a recent newscast featuring Fareed Zakaria and David Brooks, 53% of Americans view their fellow Americans as having bad morals. America had the highest percentage of disapproval of their neighbors of the twenty-five countries surveyed. Furthermore, another survey found now only 30% of Americans say they trust their neighbors. In their discussion, Fareed pointed out that in the past, candidates for the presidency in the U.S.A. all delivered optimistic messages. He cited FDR, JFK, Reagan, Clinton and Obama as examples. Reagan, for example, often referred to America as “the beacon of hope” emphasizing the nation as a symbol of liberty and opportunity. Similarly, Obama, referred to the audacity of hope as an optimism Americans could rely on to bridge partisan divides.
But as Zakaria pointed out, Trump’s message was the opposite as in his first inaugural speech, he spoke of “American carnage,” and how poorly we are doing as a country. In campaigning as a pessimist, Brooks believed that Trump tapped into the “dark passions and pessimistic mood” of America. Social media has reinforced the lack of trust we feel toward one another by encouraging extremists on both sides of the political fence to slander one another without revealing their identities. A friend I spoke to the other day said anyone he learned was a Trump supporter he would cease seeing. It as if we are living in a land of political tribes dominated by fear and mistrust of one other.
However, bad things look, I agree with Brooks when, despite it all, he remains optimistic. We need to drop our political guise and sit down and talk with one another as humans confronting real problems. If it’s more affordable housing, let’s brainstorm with one another to in coming up with ways to accomplish this. George Orwell, the famed English novelist, once mentioned that he did not want to sit down and meet his opponent or foe because then he may come to like her/him. Hiding behind a social media screen is not a way to bring us all together. One example in my community that captures my imagination: Some Cal State Long Beach faculty are currently working to head up an interfaith community. I went to their first meeting. I invite those who live in the area to become a part of this or efforts similar to the Cal State initiative. I think people are tired of the negative energy so much a part of Trump’s rants.
We have been torn before as a nation. Think of the Civil War. But somehow the idea that Ms. Rice referred to when America first became a nation has managed to exist for 250 years. Our DNA as a country has been defined by the pursuit of dreams that immigrants have had when they arrive in America. They come with the hope of bettering their lives. A nation divided by extreme political factions will never be able to foster such a dream. My hope is that the politicization of life that we have experienced most recently changes to a world where our other selves, the ones that carry the DNA of our many ancestors replace the hate and anger generated by social media.
Dr. Bernard F. Natelson 