Progressively more every year, many Americans, especially public officials, demonstrate they need to review the reasons for Independence Day and why we celebrate the fourth of July.
It is, of course, a national U.S. holiday that commemorates the adoption of our unique Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
Thomas Jefferson was inspired to write the historic document between June 11 and 28, 1776. He eloquently stated the convictions of Americans. They weren’t new ideals expressing the desire for liberty. John Locke and others beat him to it.
However, too few Americans appreciate the risks of those 57 men who signed the Declaration of Independence – making freedom possible for all us.
In the 21st century, the Fourth of July is a holiday of festivities and fireworks for Americans.
The Declaration of Independence was written as a list of grievances against the King of England, and has been cited as a list of timeless principles.
It was written and signed amid the American Revolution – the most significant event in our history. The first shots were fired in April, 1775. The war would last eight years.
It inspired the meaning of this phrase, “the shot heard round the world.”
Coincidentally, the fourth of July has other significance.
Two signers of the Declaration of Independence who were elected president, Mr. Jefferson and John Adams, passed away on July 4, 1826 — the 50th anniversary of Independence Day.
Fifth President James Monroe died July 4, 1831. Thirtieth President Calvin Coolidge was born July 4, 1872.
Fun holiday
For most Americans, it’s a fun holiday. Across the nation are barbecues, baseball games, carnivals, ceremonies, concerts, fairs, family reunions, fireworks and political speeches.
The holiday is a heavy travel weekend for many Americans.
Allegedly, as a document, the Declaration of Independence is still cherished as an avowal of freedom from tyranny.
Do we honor it? Are we truly independent? No.
Those type of events challenging royalty more than two hundred years ago – catalysts for the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence – are prevalent today.
(On a personal note, this month marks the 10th anniversary of this portal with business-coaching columns in 10 categories.)
Seeming countless assaults on the economic and political liberties of businesspeople prompted dozens of public policy columns.
Worse conditions
While it’s important to celebrate our independence, in recent years, conditions have worsened. Numerous crises are looming again this Independence Day.
They include North Korea’s threats to world peace, the damaging residue of the ObamaCare debacle, trade deficit with China, and an enormous $22-trillion national debt that climbs higher by the second:
Calculating debt…
At the very least, they threaten to financially imprison our children and grandchildren for decades. This also means they threaten this nation’s future.
Much is prompted by dysfunctional public policies by the “ruling class” – that’s how one of my late valued friends and associates once described many public servants at the local, state and federal levels. I agree.
“Now, even the deviancy of the old nobility is becoming more commonplace, as once they were given land by the sovereign, upon which to live well,” Neil Delisanti wrote in an e-mail. “Now they are given government pensions and benefits.”
He lamented we keep electing the same people with the same damaging political, and in many cases, self-serving philosophies.
He was a patriotic American and significant contributor to America as business professor, small-business advisor, Air Force pilot and highly valued friend to many people. And every July 4th, he hosted many of us on his sailboat feasting on potlucks and watching beautiful fireworks displays over Commencement Bay on the Puget Sound in WA.
He shared his brilliant acumen in many articles.
Government debt
Indeed, the situation is bleak for governments – from cities to federal – are dangerously in debt. Much of the debt is from obscene government pensions and salaries.
Meantime, also for purely political reasons, there’s little statesman-like behavior in budget-deficit talks.
Countless published reports indicate Democrats oppose every effort by the Trump Administration to grow the economy and to end fiscal waste.
But Democrats aren’t alone in this regard. Republicans were responsible for countless earmark and pork legislation during the Bush Administration.
President George Bush failed to veto even one bill with pork Republican earmarks during his first six years in office.
“Now, even the deviancy of the old nobility is becoming more commonplace, as once they were given land by the sovereign, upon which to live well,” the reader wrote in an e-mail. “Now they are given government pensions and benefits.”
On another front, the Federal Register has a compilation of all federal business rules and regulations adopted by the Obama Administration. A 2010 check revealed it contained 81,405 pages of regulations. Despite it was necessary to restored the nation’s economy, President Trump has been criticized for his rollback of the more onerous regulations.
Actually, the abuses of our liberties comprise a much longer list than discussed here. President Trump has been under fire by Democrats over his campaign to reverse them.
Certainly, businesspeople from Bernard Madoff to Enron executives have let us down. But there are a lot hardworking, diligent business folks.
Strangely, leftwing politicians wonder why such businesspeople have felt shackled.
Hence, the question:
When are we going to fully affirm the Declaration of Independence with economic patriotism to validate the principles of Independence Day?
From the Coach’s Corner, actually, all of this fiscal chaos from disingenuous behavior suggests the U.S. Constitution is under fire, too. It’s worth reading.
“Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate; now what’s going to happen to us with both a Senate and a House?”
-Will Rogers
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