Self-Evident Truths

Jul 5

As America celebrates the 250th anniversary of it’s formation, I find myself pondering the language of our Declaration of Independence. Particularly this sentence: “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.”

The concept of universal equality and notion that everyone is entitled to live freely while pursuing happiness seems straightforward at first glance. But these “self-evident” truths have never been embraced fully by American society.

EQUALITY

“All men are created equal.” OK, let’s pause right there. It surfaces a couple of issues. First, many of our Founders were slaveholders at the time of America’s founding. Obviously slaves weren’t considered equal. This notion that black- and brown-skinned people are somehow less than their white counterparts is absolute horseshit. We ended up fighting and winning a war amongst ourselves over this very issue. Despite this victory over the racist rebellion, I can drive around Central Ohio today and still see Confederate flags on vehicles and flying proudly on peoples’ properties in mere minutes. The white nationalist group Patriot Front marched in Washington DC just yesterday. The second issue relates to gender - the notion that “all men” are of equal standing, with no reference to women is a glaring omission. Since our nation’s founding, there have been numerous court battles and legislation securing women’s rights - the right to bodily integrity, the right to work for equal wages, the right to enter into contracts, reproductive rights, property rights. Over the last 250 years women have had to win each of these in the face of stiff opposition.

LIFE

Our Federal, State and Local governments are empowered to use lethal force to enforce our laws and preserve the rights of its citizens to live their lives. Earlier this year, ICE agents used kinetic force in Minneapolis, depriving Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti of their lives in two separate incidents. Throughout its history, America has wrestled with both the idea that fetuses should have the right to be born, and that violent criminals should be executed. This unalienable right to Life and who is entitled to it is still being hotly debated.

LIBERTY

The idea that we should be free to go about our business, move about society as we see fit has recently been impinged. People who look a certain way (see above, EQUALITY) have been regularly asked to provide evidence of their citizenship in the United States. Freedom of speech seems to fit into the Liberty bucket, but those who say things that our current President dislikes run the risk of being fired, harassed, stochastically terrorized, and the companies for whom they work receive extra regulatory scrutiny. So, this self-evident right to liberty seems under attack.

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

Americans are all free to pursue happiness - so long as they don’t want to have same-sex life partners, live under different gender norms, or opt out of parenthood by terminating an unwanted or medically risky pregnancy. You can pursue happiness, but don’t be too weird about it, OK?

Seth Godin said in his Saturday email “Freedom is responsibility with a sexier name” and I think this is right. America’s Founders were highly thoughtful and intelligent. They set a higher ideal for society than had ever existed up until that point - a higher ideal than we have yet to realize.

We are still so far from the ideals set forth in our Declaration of Independence. Acknowledging this is patriotic. We have work to do. Bad ideas always have a chance of prevailing, and we cannot let that happen.

Ken White’s essay says much of this better than I can. Happy Independence Day!

Sunday Supper

Chicken Kebabs w/ Turmeric and Chile

Japanese Ground Beef Curry

Cabbage Caesar Salad

Greek Chickpea Fritters

Smoky Shrimp w/ Chorizo-Tomato Sauce

Sunday Music

Caroline Polachek at the NPR Tiny Desk

Ana Vidovic playing classical guitar in Aachen

Kurt Vile interviewed and performs on World Cafe

Jazzy Jane playing Antonio Carlos Jobim on a Rhodes organ