Today is not only the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is also the birthday of one of our greatest presidents – the only president born on the Fourth – John Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933).
I recently heard a speech by a noted historian – I won’t say who – who took time out of a lecture on an entirely different topic to sneer at Calvin Coolidge. This raised my hackles. Coolidge is one of my favorite presidents. He did exactly what the Constitution requires of a president – as little as possible. He was a model statesman, a modern Cincinnatus (look him up).
He was also famous for being sparing with words, which makes him a model for writers too.
Above, a short and pithy speech from Silent Cal – about freedom and taxation.
And here’s the text of an Independence Day address by Coolidge. I find no fault with it. (Hat tip: Instapundit)
Look at me, posting my Independence Day contribution on the evening of the Third, so that you can enjoy it on the Fourth itself, which is probably when most of you will read it. All this thinking ahead and considering the customer is foreign to my habits, but I’m sure it’s good for my character, assuming I have any character left at my age.
Above, a cute snippet from the musical “1776,” in which John Adams (“unalienable”) disagrees with Thomas Jefferson (“inalienable”) about the wording of the Declaration. Not included here is Adams’ aside after he pretends to concede the point, that he’ll just fix it with the printer. Which he does. The official text has come down to us saying “unalienable.” And I can’t deny it annoys me a little.
Have an inalienable Independence Day holiday, friends.
“Notwithstanding his well-founded criticisms of the prejudicial climate and construct of mid-nineteenth century America, Frederick Douglass never viewed America as being unique in that regard. . . . ‘I admit that during many years to come the colored man will have to endure prejudice against his race and color, but this constitutes no problem to vex and disturb the course of legislation.The world was never yet without prejudice.‘”
America was not unique in its mistreatment of immigrants and minorities, and we should not allow people today to make us believe it was. In fact, the holiness of the Almighty may be the very impossible standard to which we are comparing ourselves–many making this comparison without Christ in view.
Thoughts sparked by Independence Day, and the noises thereabout:
Imagine you knew a man who never quit picking on his wife. Whenever you’re with them, he’s criticizing her. Telling her to stand up straight; you could lose a little weight; why don’t you take a cooking class; what do you do all day – the house is a mess! Constantly compares her to other women – why can’t you be like Sally? Or Phyllis? Or Amy? “You know, the fact is, my wife isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.”
So you take him aside and say, “Buddy, you’ve got to lighten up on your wife. You’re killing her spirit. You need to show her some love.”
And he’s offended. “What do you mean, I need to show her love! I love her to death! Everything I do and say is for her! I’m just trying to improve her!”
Would you consider that guy a good husband? Would you admire his love for his wife?
Of course not. He’s an abuser. An emotional abuser certainly, and very possibly a physical abuser too.
As I’ve mentioned (probably too often), I have some personal experience with an abuser. I’ve learned some sure marks of domestic abuse:
Abusers proclaim their love in principle – they’re offended if you question their love. “I love this person more than anybody else in the world. That’s why I have to be so hard on them. To help them be better.”
The Abuser will go on to explain that he would love to be nicer to the Victim. He dreams of being nicer to the Victim. But the Victim is so perverse, so uniquely stupid and evil, that he’s not able to go that way. The peculiar difficulty of the situation requires unusual, severe discipline. Purely for the Victim’s own good, you understand.
It seems to me this kind of behavior is apparent in the world of citizenship too.
There are people out there – lots of them, and some of them enjoy a lot of power – who say, “Well, yes, I never speak of the United States without criticism. I emphasize America’s faults, failures, and sins, and gloss over its virtues and achievements. I never compare it to other countries except unfavorably. But that’s because this wicked, vile, racist, oppressive country (which I love) has always covered up its sins in the past. If we don’t bring those sins out into the open now – put them in the spotlight, rub everyone’s face in them – we can’t do justice to history.
“I love America so much that I will show my love for it by condemning it, beating it up, throwing excrement on it. If I were to compromise and give America a moment’s affirmation, the whole project of Fundamental Transformation would fail. Because up until I showed up, nobody ever knew or taught anything about slavery.
“After all, that’s how you demonstrate love, by helping the loved one improve. By constantly denigrating them. My abuse proves my love for this vile, wicked country. Which I love so much.”
Does this analogy mean that all liberals are abusers? Not at all. There’s another category – Enablers.
Enablers disagree (quietly) with the Abusers, but haven’t the nerve to stand up to them. Because then the Abuse might fall on them. Better to let the abuse continue, and keep the peace. If you just appease the Abuser, maybe he’ll be satisfied and settle down. It’s not that big a deal.
Appeasement has always worked in the past, after all.
When we talk about race and American citizenship, we must ask whether the currently fashionable standoffishness characteristic of much elite thinking about blacks’ relationship to the “American project” — as exemplified, for example, by the New York Times’ 1619 Project — truly serves the interests, rightly understood, of black Americans. I think not. Indeed, I think a case can be made for unabashed black patriotism, for a forthright embrace of American nationalism by black people. The “America ain’t all it’s cracked-up to be” posture that one hears so much of these days is, in my view, a sophomoric indulgence for blacks at this late date. In fact, our birthright citizenship in what is arguably history’s greatest republic is an inheritance of immense value.
He makes these four points, which you can read on 1176unites.com.
The founding of the United States (1776) was vastly more significant for world history than the first arrival in America of African slaves (1619).
The Civil War has a significant freedom legacy.
Black Americans have been transformed and marvelously transformed themselves in the 20th century.
Consider what achieving “true equality” for black Americans actually entails, an immeasurable amount of work.
For some reason I’m in the mood for some jingoistic, flag-waving music today. I bet you didn’t even know “The Stars and Stripes Forever” had lyrics. Well, here they are, courtesy of some Barber Shoppers.
