The United States of America is unique among nations. Virtually every other nation on Earth is defined primarily by its geography. Nations typically are also, at least in part, defined by their customs and culture.
But America is more than a land mass, or common customs and culture.
When people say the phrase, “that is un-American,” they typically mean that the thing they are talking about is unjust, oppressive, or that it violates the principles of freedom, equality, and decency. Even in popular culture, for something to be American didn’t mean that it was made in America, it meant that it was founded in the ideals of freedom, justice, and decency. Hence, Superman fought for “truth, justice and the American way.” If you were to replace any other nation for the word American, the sentence would have no real meaning. What does it mean to be un-German or un-Italian? Or un-French? What is the Spanish way? Or the Greek way? Or the British way?
In contrast, the United States of America is very different. It is widely viewed even by non-Americans as different. The masses at our border prove this point. There are no masses trying to sneak into Iran, North Korea, Russia, or China. And while most of the world has some measure of border security, they don’t typically have millions of people clamoring to get into their country. There may be wars that can cause temporary situations of mass migration, but the truth is America is a consistent magnet because America is widely seen as a land of freedom and opportunity.
There are reasons for these differences between America and every other nation on Earth. The United States of America stands for the idea that society must be based on individual liberty, limited government, but unlimited opportunity, and equal treatment before the law.
What makes America, America its unique mission statement and national credo —
“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.”
This great national mission statement makes America different from every other nation on Earth. It has also guided our growth and development and national character for more than 245 years.
Interestingly, the Declaration’s influence is not limited to the United States. It became a model for more than 120 subsequent political documents all across the globe. It’s impact as America’s national mission statement cannot be underestimated. Abraham Lincoln once said, “I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence.” That became true for generations of Americans of all political persuasions. Whether it was John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, or Martin Luther King, Jr. the principles of the Declaration of Independence were part and parcel of their political beliefs. There was a time when the Declaration was universally respected and extolled.
But it is worrisome that things like the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are under attack even within America. Extremists have labeled the Declaration “structurally racist” and have suggested that “trigger warnings” be placed in the National Archives to protect the public from the Declaration’s content. As insanely crazy and extremist as that is, what is even worse is that the National Archives has caved to the pressure and placed “harmful content” warnings on both the Declaration and the US Constitution. Let that sink in.
The Declaration and the Constitution were revolutionary. And they placed our individual rights on a much safer and more stable plain. And it created a political system that gave us our current levels of freedom for all peoples, creeds and nationalities. It took some work to get rid of some of the 18th Century’s injustices, but we did it and have placed racial and religious minorities in positions of political, legal, and economic power. That was all made possible by our nation’s great mission statement.
At every phase of America’s development, progress has been made as we came closer to the promise of our great national mission statement. Whether it was the abolitionist movement, or the new birth of freedom that Abraham Lincoln so eloquently spoke of, or women’s suffrage, or the civil rights movement, they were all premised and founded upon our great national mission statement. And each of the leaders of these movements cited the Declaration as foundational to their movements. In other words, the Declaration’s message led to more and more people enjoying the blessings of liberty. That is precisely as it should be!
Extremists vilify the Founders and our Founding documents because they view the principles of the Declaration and the language of the Constitution as an impediment to their political goals and because they seek more control and more power. As Daniel Webster observed, “There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.” The principles of our Founding prevent those who seek to be our masters from obtaining that sort of power and authority. So Americans of all political views — left and right — ought to champion America’s national mission statement. It is what makes America a land of freedom and opportunity. Only an extremist would oppose that!
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