A Birthday Party, but Some Won’t Come

July 4th, 1776. Two hundred and fifty years ago our country was born – Independence Day. This July 4th we are having a most significant birthday party and every citizen is invited. We want to celebrate the two-hundred-and-fifty-year life of this country, the United States of America, the finest experiment in diversity, equality and government the world has every seen. But some don’t want to celebrate. They don’t want to come to the party. Why?

By every measure, by every unbiased opinion, by unredacted history, by the world’s feet walking to this country, we live in an exceptional experiment. This experiment was founded in the promise and belief that all are created equal and have the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Have we perfected that promise? Not quite, but our efforts have produced, almost miraculously, the ongoing and best attempt this world has ever seen.

Some don’t agree with our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution and amendments, our rule of law, our executive, legislative and judicial separation of powers, meritocracy and capitalism.  Fine. Ours is a democratic republic. The vote counts.  Work to change what you don’t agree with.

Every now and then, often with a new generation, a group becomes dissatisfied with this country and its progress toward their utopian goals. This happened with Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D Rosevelt, the 1930s romance with Communism, Viet Nam protests, the Summer of Love, social justice, identity politics, and now Democratic Socialism. The time-honored way to achieve goals in this country – discussion, debate, compromise, and the vote, was too slow, dated and archaic. It was replaced with violent protest, bitter antagonism, court intervention, ideologic righteousness and lawfare. The past, including this country’s marvelous history, was a foreign country. The millennial historic prologue of tested ideas wasn’t referenced. It was written in a foreign language. Life in the moment was exciting, vibrant and all consuming. Calcified Ideas and traditions from the past lost all purchase. This group, the far left, wants the immediate adoption of their ideas even if it requires an internal revolution.

Please note that “Democratic Socialism” is a contradiction in terms. “Democratic” implies a democracy where the government serves the people. “Socialism” implies a society where the people serve the government. They don’t mix.

So now, on our 250th birthday, I choose to celebrate this marvelous country. I invite all to celebrate with me. To those who choose not to celebrate, I wish that you overcome your ignorance of our country’s virtues. I invite you to join me and the overwhelming majority who want reasoned, non-violent improvement