| As Americans celebrate the 248th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it is startling to realize that progressives, an influential political grouping that dominates the Democratic Party, Hollywood, most of the media, and even education, would have sided more with King George III rather than George Washington. Their attitude towards the Revolution, its beliefs and even its symbols which brought about the greatest advance in human freedom in history, is disdainful. They have rejected the concept of individual rights, preferring that edicts from unelected bureaucrats from federal agencies take precedence over most aspects of our daily lives. They believe that expressions of beliefs should be subjected to partisan officials who will determine what is and is not “disinformation,” really just a code word for censorship. They believe that the right of self-defense, so valiantly displayed at the fields at Lexington and Concord where the Revolution began, should be repealed. Today, the battlefields are in stores and streets, where innocent civilians and store owners get in more trouble for defending themselves from robbers and rapists than the criminals perpetuating heinous acts. They reject the basic attributes of Independence itself. They endorse the concept that international treaties have more weight than the Bill of Rights. The open borders so vehemently commenced by President Biden in violation of existing laws, is really a rejection of American sovereignty itself. Their belief that the U.S. must provide for the world population is really a statement that American citizenship is an illusion. Throughout the nation, the stunning cost of feeding, housing, medicating, and educating illegals have bankrupted cities, sharply diminished services and public safety, and ejected American veterans from homeless shelters, and American children from parks. In a number progressive jurisdictions, moves are being made to grant noncitizens the right to vote, the ultimate rejection of American nationhood. The heroes of the Revolution are under constant attack. Just one example: The New York City Council’s statue of Thomas Jefferson was removed, a decision made by the municipality’s Public Design Commission at the urging of progressives. The symbols of the Revolution are under no less assault. President Obama demanded that the Famous “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, a symbol of defiance by the colonists against foreign domination, be removed from Naval vessels. In recent days, another Revolutionary war banner, the “Appeal to Heaven” flag, was removed from the San Francisco Civic Center Plaza. According to National Review, the banner dates “back to 1775 [and] was flown on George Washington’s ships during the Revolutionary War. It was formally adopted for the Massachusetts navy’s use a year later. In some American schools, Marxist screeds such as Howard Zin’s text on American History and the “1619 Project” have been placed in curriculum, ignoring or downplaying objective texts on the Revolution. Historian Larry Schweikart argues that many history textbooks now employed by progressive educators distort Revolutionary war history to push a progressive agenda. He argues that as a result, students graduate from high schools with “twisted beliefs” about America’s origin and the foundations of the Republic. The concept of a nation founded on the principle of individual rights was a startling change in the course of the human story. Monarchs, emperors, dictators, military strongmen and more had been the norm. Only a few times had only a very limited version of individual rights even been tried. The American Revolution changed that to a stunning degree. As the progressive philosophy of collectivism over personal freedom gains greater influence, the guiding philosophy of personal rights that the Revolution succeeded in achieving becomes a target. Once more, the American people have to decide on American Independence. |
Categories
Repealing the American Revolution
