This Fourth of July, Americans are celebrating their 246th year of independence. And celebrations are warranted—we should all be proud to be Americans.
But we should all ask ourselves one fundamental question: As a whole, is America less free now than it has ever been in our history?
Every Independence Day, it is important to assess where freedom stands in the United States. It is imperative to understand whether or not we are progressing as a free people—whether individual liberty is stronger than in years past.
Of course, the American experiment has had its dark days. The stain of slavery—one of history’s greatest sins—still lingers today. For centuries, millions of people in North America were not free, stripped of their humanity for the sake of economic exploitation. In that sense, the U.S. is very clearly more free now. We have fortunately progressed as a society.
But freedom is still not guaranteed in 2022. To the contrary, it is relentless assaulted by left-wing Democrats and their radical supporters, who fundamentally reject the notion of pride in country. Republicans are much more likely to say they’re patriotic than Democrats, who prefer to incessantly point out the flaws of the U.S. system. There’s a reason why even New York Times columnist Jedediah Britton-Purdy admits “Democrats need patriotism now more than ever.”
Since March 2020, hundreds of millions of Americans have had their freedoms stripped in unprecedented ways. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we grappled with mask and vaccine mandates after being assured that they would not come to pass. States like California still impose restrictions on their citizens.
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For more than two years, freedom of movement was hindered domestically and abroad, while individual liberties were scrapped for “public health.” Schools forcefully masked and vaccinated their students, despite their relatively low risk of serious illness. Cities like Boston only ended their mandates weeks ago—more than two years since the coronavirus first appeared in America.
COVID-19 obsessives proved that freedom is not guaranteed. For years, they revealed their true colors, showing utter disregard or distaste for individual liberties that we took for granted. We can no longer take them for granted—because those in power often do.
We cannot sit idly by as freedom becomes a choice, rather than a constitutional certainty. Never again.
The recent Supreme Court controversy serves as yet another reminder. New rulings that honor the Constitution and expand freedom on a broad scale have actually come under attack, with the fundamental legitimacy of the Supreme Court even questioned by elected officials. Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) claim “we are witnessing a judicial coup,” calling for the impeachment of Supreme Court justices who happen to disagree with their left-wing worldview.
Even President Biden has called the Supreme Court “outrageous” and “destabilizing.” In his words: “The Constitution, the Second Amendment was never absolute.” And we’re supposed to be optimistic about freedom in America?
This is not normal behavior. It is not healthy for a democracy founded on checks and balances. When elected officials question the very legitimacy of key institutions, simply because of politics, that foundation becomes less and less sturdy. Freedom becomes less and less guaranteed.
This holiday, Americans should celebrate their freedom more than ever before. It is our patriotic duty to be proud of America. That's why, later this month, the second-ever Freedom Fight Night is being held to hold elected officials accountable.
Harrison Rogers is founder and CEO of Arizona-based HJR Global, and a serial entrepreneur and angel investor.
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