The Blessings of Liberty

Happy Constitution Day!

If you, like me, have pledged allegiance to our flag and "the Republic for which it stands" hundreds of times;

if you, like me, have swelled with emotion as you stand with hand on heart while the band plays the National Anthem;

if you, like me, have waved miniature flags while fireworks lit the sky to celebrate the Declaration of our rights to "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness";

if you, like me, warmly honor our veterans for their service on Veterans day and mourn the fallen on Memorial Day,

if you, like me, believe yourself a patriot and love our republic then...

... you, like me, must rouse yourself to exercise the most basic duty of citizenship. In a Republic the People are in charge and guide their public servants, most basically, through the franchise. ALL Americans should register and vote. 

And, if you really want to pass this republic along to another generation take it further: Speak out. Donate. Organize. Volunteer. Vote early. Get others to the polls. Wear a button. Put up a yard sign. Make some phone calls. Take your sacred blood-earned small-r republican liberties seriously.

America is imperfect, as the Constitution makes clear in its first sentence. But America has given me and you so much. So many have sacrificed for the posterity that includes me and you.

I have children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and former students I love: my posterity.

How can I forsake my part in We the People? How can I do less than my best to secure the blessings of liberty for the America that I will, and soon, leave behind.

Republics often fail. Republics are certainly not the norm in human history. But for all their frailties, republics are the greatest form of government. 

Recently I was accused, in public on Facebook, by someone I love, of being hateful and bitter. 

Wow.

It saddens me to think one so dear to me would post such anger toward me. I decided that once discussion between loved ones gets to the point of such angry words further discussion is not helpful. So I did not get a full explanation of those charges. I assume this loved one objected to my words concerning Donald John Trump's actions and words. 

Here's what I hate. I hate authoritarianism. I hate racism. I hate hate. 

But I hate no person. No one.

I pity Donad Trump on a personal level, for example. I am genuinely saddened that he has had such a loveless, empty life. But my conscience demands that I give all that I can to protect my posterity from the evil that results from his racism, narcissism, ignorance, selfishness, authoritarian tendencies,

At 73, the stands I take regarding politics, (or in this case, morals and ethics in politics), are taken with great love for my daughters and grandchildren and former students and for our American heritage of seeking always to perfect our union by preserving, expanding, and securing the blessings of liberty.  

Bitter? I am bitterly opposed to those evils I mentioned above. But I am by nature a cheerful person. And this is one of the happiest times of my life. And I face the future with optimism and great faith that, if we can be true to republican principles and accept our civic duties, the future is bright. I believe that we really can bend the arc of history further toward equality, good will, and the blessings of liberty. But we must each do our part. A republic requires citizens who take the obligations of citizenship seriously.