Make a wish America

Our wonderful nation turns 233 years old today.

Sort of.

The birth of America is kinda like the birth of Jesus, in that its hard to pin down an exact date when it really happened. True, the Declaration of Independence was made official on July 4th, 1776, but it was actually passed the the Continental Congress on July 2nd. John Adams actually wrote to his wife saying that he thought the 2nd would be the day which later generations celebrated the Independence of America. But the thing wasn't even actually signed by most of the delegates until August of 1776.

But really, is just saying we were independent sufficient criteria for the birth of a nation? Whatever its rhetorical and symbolic power, the Declaration was nothing without the might to back it up and force Britain to acknowledge it. Perhaps then it would be more accurate to date the birth of America to the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775. Or perhaps the Declaration is better thought of as the conception of America, with the actual birth coming after the surrender at Yorktown or the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

All of this gets really complicated (and boring), so instead of worrying about it we did the smart thing by picking a date and celebrating the hell out of it, same as we do with Christmas. I think it works out pretty well.

On this 4th of July its natural to think of the Founding Fathers. Its interesting to me how the Founders (capitalized, naturally) are viewed as demi-gods by people in our time. Not that they don't deserve our respect and admiration. They certainly do. What I find interesting is the way in which the founders are so idealized and revered as though they were both infallible and spoke with one all-knowing voice, two ideas which cannot possibly be true. I think its perfectly American that we do this, ignoring (or simply never learning) those facts which may cloud and contradict in favor of a simple and positive view of events.

We know that no man is infallible, and the shortcomings of the Founders are well known. I don't mean to disparage them with this, its just the truth. Some were slaveholders. Few thought particularly highly of the abilities of women or non-whites, or for that matter non-educated, propertied white men. There is an elitist streak which runs through much of their thought and deed which makes me laugh at the current charges of elitism which are hurled at modern politicians, often by the same people who revere the Founders above all else.

Some were men of ill temper, some were a bit slow, many quite full of themselves. No doubt some were philanderers and some drank too much. I doubt many of them would recognize religion as it is often practiced here in America, as many were Deists, and even a few were atheists. Thomas Jefferson himself went so far as to make the famous Jefferson Bible, a copy of the bible with ever reference to Jesus's divinity and the supernatural removed.

As to being a monolith of thought, the Founders were such a diverse group (in experience and beliefs, if not in background) that the idea that they had one mind about anything is crazy. Their political debates were often fierce, while their personal feuds could run even deeper, ranging from mere insults and at times escalating to the point of violence. At times they campaigned against each other with a vulgarity which would make our modern campaigns look tame. Its true that campaigns today too often focus on irrelevant minutiae and negative attacks, but the idea that this is somehow new is laughable.

Despite these contradictions, it seems that in any political question, any argument that is to be made about policy, the proper role of government, or America as a whole, the ultimate rhetorical trump card one can pull is to say that you are on the side of the Founders, if not in exact words than at least in spirit. Its a tactic attempted by conservatives, liberals, moderates and partisans of every stripe in support of pretty much every idea and proposed policy you can imagine. They have been quoted (and often mis-quoted) countless times, a practice which sometimes seems futile to me. Given their wide range of beliefs, its usually possible to find supportive words from the Founders for both sides of a given issue (and sometimes even from the same Founder). Despite all this the Founders remain the gold standard of rhetoric in America.

I don't write all this to disparage the Founders. Quite the opposite. I think our Nation benefits from a more thorough understanding and knowledge of who they are, a complete picture which includes their virtues, beliefs, contradictions, and their faults.

My favorite Founder is Ben Franklin, probably more for his sense of humor and playfulness than for any of than any of his political accomplishments (though they are impressive as well). Franklin strikes me as America's irreverent Uncle, not quite so stiff and serious as the other Founders. Perhaps he didn't have to be so serious given his advanced age, reputation and the fact that he never served as President or in any office under the Constitution. Whatever the case, if I could meet only one Founder I would certainly pick him.

I sometimes wonder what the Founders would think of America today. No doubt they would be surprised by many things, even shocked (though we can speculate at what), but I think on the whole they would be pleased by the progress America has made. Some more than others, I'm sure, and while I have no way of knowing I suspect that Franklin would be among the most proud of the Nation he helped create.

Enjoy your 4th of July everyone. Special thanks to all Veterans or those who are currently serving our Nation, both at home and abroad. And thanks of course to the Founders for their bravery, vision, genius, and luck. Here's to another 233 years.