The Real Meaning of July 4
July 2, 2009 | By Nathaniel Ward
What is the Fourth of July? Just a convenient summer holiday with barbecues and fireworks? Or is there a deeper meaning?
"The Fourth of July is a great opportunity to renew our dedication to the principles of liberty and equality enshrined in what Thomas Jefferson called "the declaratory charter of our rights," writes Heritage scholar Matthew Spalding.
Chiefly the work of Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence was America's proclamation to the world "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." And it held that the purpose of government is to "secure these rights," rather than to determine what rights the people could enjoy.
The Declaration of Independence marks our nation's conception of liberty. Its truths, grounded in a higher law and applied to all men, are "self-evident." President Abraham Lincoln once praised the document as an "abstract truth, applicable to all men and all times."
"What is revolutionary about the Declaration of Independence is not that a particular group of Americans declared their independence under particular circumstances," writes Spalding. "But that they did so by appealing to -- and promising to base their particular government on -- a universal standard of justice."
This universal standard of justice endures for all time and cannot be reversed or rewritten. In a speech marking the 150th anniversary of independence on July 5, 1926, President Calvin Coolidge elaborated this point:
About the Declaration there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have had new thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern. But that reasoning can not be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final.
His next point is a direct rebuke to the so-called "Progressives" -- those on the Left who believe their views are the next step in historical "progress":
No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress."
In a new report, Heritage's Julia Shaw elaborates on how Calvin Coolidge "is one of the most eloquent voices for the great and enduring principles expressed in our Declaration of Independence." Coolidge, the only President born on July 4, held views that "differed from those of the Progressives who dominated politics before and after the 1920s."
» Watch as Matt Spalding explains the dangers of progressivism on the Glenn Beck Show.
In the midst of economic crises, massive government expansions and infringements upon basic human liberties, it is much too easy to forget the timeless truths so clearly articulated by our nation's Founders.
It is especially in trying times like these that our foundational principles, which have seen us through more challenging times before, must not be abandoned.
-- Amanda Reinecker
Other Heritage work of note
- Judge Sonia Sotomayor trumpets her "ethnic bona fides…by insisting -- not just in a single quote, but over a lifetime of activism -- that her background permits her to use the rules of logic differently," writes Heritage Vice President Mike Gonzalez. "Experience, of course, does count for something," notes Gonzalez, pointing out that his upbringing in Communist Cuba made him "an uncompromising defender of human freedom." But this is different from saying that ethnicity is a defining characteristic—and lawmakers should remember that when the confirmation proceedings start July 13.
- Writing in the D.C. Examiner, Heritage Foundation expert James Carafano outlines some "really stupid pending legislation" on national security issues. "Some entries exemplify 'checkbook security'--measures that succeed in spending money, without improving our security. Others exemplify 'feel-good security'--bills that pretend to do something worthwhile, when it's not. And some demonstrate 'checklist security'--meaningless gestures that won't accomplish much of anything. None of it is real security." What do you think of this legislation? Post your comments on the Examiner site.
- It appears Washington is finally taking missile defense a bit more seriously after North Korea's recent provocative missile tests and subsequent threats. Although there is little good to come of North Korea's nuclear advancements, Heritage domestic policy expert Peter Brookes writes in the New York Post, perhaps it will "finally convince the administration and Congress that being able to protect yourself with missile defense is really a good thing."
- To address widespread confusion about the cap-and-trade legislation that passed the House last week, Heritage energy policy expert Nick Lorris spells it out. "It's a tax…a huge tax…on your energy bill, plain and simple." Not only that, it would raise taxes on middle-class Americans, despite President Obama's campaign promise that the middle class would see no tax hike. In fact, cap-and-trade offers "a lot of economic pain for the American consumer. All for little, if any, environmental gain."
- In her weekly Washington Times column, Heritage's Rebecca Hagelin challenges the "toxic liberal media culture [that] tells us that the 'old fashioned' institution of marriage should be reinvented." The family unit, defined by the fidelity and commitment between a man and woman, is the basic building block of civil society, but this institution is rapidly deteriorating. "If we continue along this trajectory," Hagelin warns, "our nation is doomed."
In other news
- American troops have officially withdrawn from cities in Iraq, leaving security in the hands of Iraq's military and police. June proved to be the bloodiest month in Iraq in nearly a year.
- After a long recount battle, Minnesota Democrat Al Franken has won his state's long-contested Senate seat, giving his party formal control of 58 seats. Since two independents typically caucus with the Democrats, the Left will likely have the necessary 60 votes to overcome any filibusters.
- North Korean cargo ship Kang Nam, tracked by American warships who suspect it of carrying U.N.-prohibited contraband, has reversed its course. The ship's voyage is the latest in a series of nuclear provocations from Pyongyang.
- Former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, a leftist acolyte of Venezuela's Hugao Chavez, was ousted from office last Sunday after the Supreme Court found him in violation of the country's constitution. Zelaya has vowed to return to Honduras with the help of the U.N. General Assembly but interim President Roberto Micheleti has threatened to arrest him if he tries.
- Unemployment rose to 9.5 percent in June. Perhaps "stimulating" the economy with $1 trillion of taxpayer money isn't as effective at creating jobs as advertized.
- Leaders of al Qaeda's North Africa wing have threatened repercussions against France after President Nicolas Sarkozy critiqued the wearing of burqas, the full-body covering used in some Muslim countries.
Coming up at Heritage
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- On Tuesday, July 7 at 10:00 a.m., Gregory B. Jaczko, chairman on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, will discuss government oversight of the nuclear industry.
Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation. Amanda Reinecker contributed to this report.
