A Posting for Independence Day

July 4, 2007

Today we celebrate our independence, and the blessings that have been poured out on our nation. I think that we should not only recognize on this day not only our revolution, but the principles that guided the revolution. Many nations and societies have had revolutions, but not all led to good places. Sadly, there are many revolutions in recent times that have only led to cruel despots and the gutting of countries.

One of the reasons our revolution fared so well was that it anticipated, even took for granted, the eventuality of power struggles and the desires of ambitious people. The people who made our nation believed that only servant leadership could prevent the injustices that humans with power are tempted to commit. George Washington and the other Founding Fathers had enough humility to recognize that they could not handle power alone. They refused to become kings or oligarchs or a ruling party.

Instead, they set up a system whose participants would constantly be locking horns, fighting for turf, and engaging in petty partisan bickering. They set up a climate that made it difficult for any one group to become too powerful. They also made it responsive to the reasoned will of the people, and encouraged political leaders to be scrutinized, so that ambitious people would lead from a desire to serve, and not to overawe their fellows.

The Founding Fathers expected that humans would remain wicked, and wouldn't transform into wonderful, selfless saints. Their principles told them to frame a government which would encourage everyone to act justly, and to bring force to bear on people who did wrong. The Fathers also believed in justice, and set forth a Bill of Rights which would protect persons who were accused, and prevent the government from perverting its commission to hunt wrongdoers into exacting retribution upon political opponents.

The principles on which our nation was founded also led the Founding Fathers to give us freedoms unprecedented in the world. They wished to make a nation in which people could peaceably practice their religion, without having to hide from their neighbors or the government. The peoplecould gather to discuss things, and could transmit information as they pleased.

Some of the information transmitted would be incorrect, and some of it would be controversial, possibly even offensive as we now use the term. Our Founding Fathers determined to let all of it remain in the public square, becuase otherwise they would have to appoint gatekeepers and censors. There would be guardians of public discourse, but as the ancient Romans said, "Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?" Who would guard the guards? It would be another opportunity for power to be abused, and sooner or later, humans would abuse that power.

Some of these principles have carried through to today in the creation of the Internet, but others, such as the ability to practice religion without being told that such things aren't allowed in our city squares and public dialogue, are being threatened. In some ways, the Internet, and other mediums such as radio, are under threat, as a push arises for gatekeepers who will limit the flow of information. I hope that this Independence Day we may remember to promote the freedoms our fathers labored for once again, and resist these impulses to limit our freedom. We may live in a society full of spam, junk mail, and vitriolic political discourse, but it's preferable to a nation where our words would risk us being clapped in irons. Being imprisoned for offending someone powerful still happens to people who have never enjoyed the blessings of our revolution.

In closing, I would like to thank our soldiers, and all who support them, for their labor in foreign countries. They are midwives birthing new revolutions of democracy in places where it never seemed possible before. The way will be difficult, and all nations sometimes commit grievous evil, but I still have hope that their service will enable many to enjoy the freedoms of our revolution.