The question “What is America?” is surely challenging to answer because it would probably get as many answers as people to whom it was asked. Perhaps the initial question should be, “what was American intended to be by the men who founded it?” We have historical testimony for that question, and once we get the set standard of intentions, we can determine “what America is,” or if it is now what it was created to be.
The principles of what America’s Founders intended for the country are stated in their “Declaration of Independence.” Those principles are embodied in the Constitution, which they wrote to govern the nation. Due to the imperfections of humanity, America has never flawlessly measured up to what the Founders envisioned, but that’s part of this exercise—intentions and results. Were the intentions even noble, honorable, and worth emulating? A fair enquiry, but here, I’m only going to elucidate their objectives and make some comparisons on “What is America?” today. I must analyze the first few sentences of the “Declaration of Independence” to discern their aims. Let’s see what Jefferson wrote on behalf of his fellow Americans regarding what they believed and thought proper for governing humanity.
1. “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” First of all, note the word “truths.” America’s Founders believed that what was written in the Declaration was true, not just their opinion. They held that truth exists and is absolute, attainable, knowable, and, where applicable, doable. Indeed, “these truths” were “self-evident.” They were “truths” that any judicious human being should be able to discern upon a proper application of history, reason, and common sense. As we shall see, much of what Jefferson said is not only not “truth” to many Americans today, but also not “self-evident.”
2. “…that all men are created equal…” “All” men includes every human being. Given the monarchical-aristocratical world the Founders grew up in, this was indeed revolutionary. Nobody is born with a RIGHT to rule anybody else. So, King, buzz off.
One is tempted to ask here, do American Leftists—does the Democratic Party—believe this anymore, i.e., that no one is born with a right to rule others? Given their elitist arrogance and their globalist tendencies, one is tempted to answer, no, the Left believes in its own superiority, in the stupidity of those not in their camp, that the “deplorables” (i.e., those “clinging to their guns and Bibles”) should shut up and be censured and deprived of free speech, and that they should simply do what their betters tell them. I doubt Nancy Pelosi—or the current Prime Minister of England—would put it in exactly those terms, but actions tend to speak louder than words.
Further, note that it is all “men.” In 1776, this did not exclude women, of course. Up until modern feminism arose and began a deliberate attempt to destroy, or at best, blur, the distinctions between men and women, the word “men” was used generically to include all of humanity, and nobody was offended by it or misunderstood its use. But feminism insists there are no distinctions between men and women, that to use the word “men” to describe all of humanity, including women and children, is sexist and probably white supremacist. They have convinced so many people that they are right, that countless Americans no longer even know what a man and a woman are. This nonsense would be utterly laughable if it weren’t so serious, and it is extremely serious because the lives of innumerable children are being destroyed because of it.
Is America today what our Founders envisioned it to be? Let us press on.
“…all men are CREATED equal…” The near unanimous opinion of our Founders is that a God exists and that He created humanity. Most of the Founders, though not all, were believers in the God of the Bible and were practitioners of the Christian religion, though believing that religion should never be forced upon anyone. Yet, they certainly believed religion was a positive force in any society, the basis for moral beliefs: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other” (John Adams). Jefferson, not a believer in the deity of Christ, still said that Christianity was an “enlightened religion.” One of the “self-evident truths” America was founded upon was that humans were CREATED. That means God.
James Madison wrote, “The future and success of America is not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded.” The Founders envisioned—hoped for—a “future” for America, and that that future would have “success.” But as I noted at the beginning of this essay, the Constitution only EMBODIES principles that were STATED in the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration affirms that humanity was created, meaning there is a God. And, Madison says here, it’s not the Constitution that will secure America’s “future and success,” but “the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded.” If language means anything at all, then Madison’s language is impossible to misunderstand. It can be denied, it can be ridiculed, it can be twisted and lied about, but it cannot be misunderstood by any honest human being with a brain.
And is there any doubt, any doubt AT ALL, why the Left in America, why the Democratic Party, hates the Founding Fathers of the country? And, as we continue this series, we will further understand why the Left hates America—the America as established by Jefferson, Washington, Madison, Adams, et al.
“Jesus is Lord!” somebody shouted at a Kamala Harris rally before the election. “You are at the wrong rally,” Kamala replied to much applause. Truer words were never spoken.
But, “all men are created….?” That’s the subject in part two of this series.
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