Warning, lest anyone think I am not bullish on America tap the brakes and put it in reverse – I AM and will always be!  I believe that America, from our inception to the present, is the best offering the world has seen for a long time and possibly in our human existence.  I believe that the Founding Fathers, all flawed human vessels, did an incredible job overcoming differences, embracing compromise, and formulating the opportunity to achieve “a more perfect union.”  I stand in awe of what they achieved and am rankled when anyone attempts to trash and subvert it. 

America was not and will never be perfect because humans manage the government.  As is stated in Federalist 51, probably by James Madison, “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.  If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.”  Just in case you missed it, men are not angels therefore we operate as flawed vessels attempting to achieve the impossible in human government.  That means we will always make mistakes and find it necessary to correct them.  That is another reason, preserving our history is vital.  History is our means of comparing the past and the present and achieving the future with more perfection.  Historic illiteracy is a death knell to liberty and freedom.

The pursuit of those seeking to ‘fundamentally transform’ America into whatever those following the globalist, socialist, Marxist, liberal, progressive, woke mentality of entitlement and political correctness want is dangerous.   History provides a sound basis for self-examination and provides benchmarks that enable us to realize progress as well as regression.  It is vital that we insist on keeping our history intact and that means all our monuments, memorials, statues, and the writings of those who fought on all sides of our various conflicts.  It is imperative that we resist the sanitization of American history and keep before us the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. 

The play “Hamilton” is deemed the greatest thing since sliced bread to those who hate America, our Founding Fathers, and founding principles. However, history does not support the idea that Hamilton considered America so deeply flawed that it was anathema to morality and justice.  He was given his opportunity to serve in the fight for Freedom by the man that the Left is now targeting and tearing down his statues, George Washington.  Hamilton called Washington, “the venerated Virginian veteran.”  

Hamilton was always conscious of the contributions, struggles, mistakes, and corrections of Washington and men like him.  Hamilton the man, and the play both highlight the military contributions and incredible victories won by Washington.  Yet, the haters of our history and founding dismiss that and tell is none of that matters and we must remove all traces of Washington and his ownership of slaves disqualifies him from his place in history. 

I view the current divide in America as a binary choice between those who embrace the principles embodied in the Declaration of Independence and those who do not.  It is a struggle, or war, between those who reject America’s founding and those who do not.  I am convinced that those rioting and protesting are doing so out of historic ignorance and have failed to grasp the heart of our Founding Fathers and the initial objective of our founding.  The forces driving this division and outrage either do not understand or do not believe that America was founded in pursuit of universal ideas, not about blood and soil. 

Alexander Hamilton was remarkably different than many of the Founding Fathers, in that he did not rise to prominence as a member of the landed aristocracy prevalent in that time.  The musical presents him in this way: “How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean by providence impoverished in squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar?” 

It could rightly be said that Hamilton was a political outsider and not a traditional part of the establishment.  His ability to use his pen propelled him to prominence and helped America achieve her dream of Independence.  He focused, as did the others, on the Idea of Freedom and the Principles embodied.  That is part of the uniqueness of America.

America is quite unlike the other nations of the world in many ways.  One significant observation is that America’s identity is not tied to lineage, origins, or borders.  Yes, we have borders and they must be defended, but our founding was the pursuit of Freedom and the recognition of the Providence of God and the Inalienable Rights He granted to All Men. 

I have always found it moving that we mark our founding not on military conquests and victories but on the moment that we put our objective on paper and declared the infamous words, “all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”  That is powerful and it is still the objective of freedom-loving American patriots.  That’s what Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, and Hamilton desired and what I desire.

If we omit or erase history because we find some aspect offensive, we subject ourselves to the incredible dangers of repeating those mistakes or sins.  Unfortunately, America would likely never have become the republic and the nation we have become had the Founders insisted on no union that included slavery.  Tragically, many of the agricultural southern states would have abandoned the cause.  Unfortunately, the image of slavery is relegated to the South and there is the omission of slavery and sweatshops in the North. 

We have warts in our history and omitting it because it is uncomfortable and even detestable does not change it nor does it correct it.  Knowing what we did, who we were, and what we have achieved should be an encouragement to progress in the pursuit of the stated ideal embodied in the Declaration of Independence.

The Founding Fathers were flawed human beings and made mistakes. George Washington, a powerful but often quite humble man, knew he was a flawed vessel.  In the play Hamilton there is the highlight of the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.  In the song highlighting Burr’s duel and killing of Hamilton, we hear how Burr came to understand that he should have known that the world was wide enough for both he and Hamilton.  Tragically, many do not understand that concept today and seek to silence and censor any opposing view. 

The PC Police work laboriously to silence all conservative views and opinions.  The only accepted view is the mandated view of the Progressive Leftists now demanding that we ‘kneel’ with Black Lives Matter and ‘repent’ of our whiteness.  If you are white, black, brown, or any ethnicity be proud of who you are and realize that there is room for differing opinions and compromise.  Had our Founding Fathers not understood that America would never have been. 

Until the more modern era, America’s political spectrum embraced the concept that we are different, believe differently, and were willing to engage in open debate.  In today’s America, intolerance has become the cornerstone of those demanding tolerance from everyone else.  Politicians villainize their opponents, citizens adopt a ‘us against them’ mentality, and everything is viewed through the lens of race or political ideology.  I keep praying that we can, once again, embrace the objective declared in our Declaration that, “all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” 

I detest the destruction and I refuse to participate in the focus of today that seeks to destroy all who view things differently than I.  I am a believer in God, a Christian, a patriot, a lover of freedom, a follower of the constitution, and an American.  I love this country and respect the principles upon which we were founded. I will stand for the flag and never kneel to any man willingly.  I will bow only to God and will fight for everyone’s right to have Life, Liberty, and pursue Happiness.  

God bless you and God bless America!