“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.”
Like many, I’ve been watching the protests across the US over the past week following the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. I’ve struggled to fully comprehend to anger, the pain, the sadness, and determination of the Black community - as a white, middle-class, American ex-pat living in London, I can’t begin to comment or discuss with any authority the subject of racial justice. I’ve rarely been singled out for my skin color during my 30+ years on this planet, and never in a life-altering or life-threatening way. All I can really say is that I see you, and support the change that needs to happen.
I believe deeply in the founding principles of the United States of America. I believe in the rule of law; however, to borrow a British phrase, the current rule of law is not fit for purpose. The entire idea behind law and justice is equality and fairness, regardless of race, creed, or background. When the law becomes more important than those it is meant to serve, it must change.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The United States was founded on aspiration principles. It was not founded with a perfect government, nor a set system of laws, nor with the rules enabling the founding principles to be justly and equally enacted. It was founded because the situation for the thirteen colonies became untenable, and the founding fathers - flawed individuals themselves - put forward a list of goals to guide the new nation from its inception. In the 243 years since the nation was born, we have not always lived up to those aspirations - in fact, there have been many times where the conduct of the nation, and those trusted with leading and serving it, have directly conflicted with the ideals they were meant to uphold.
Property is not one of our founding principles. Nor are racism, sexism, discrimination, and countless other inequalities that have existed in the United States throughout the years. While we have often failed ourselves in the application of our principles, they remain and endure, as something to aspire to, to guide government and citizens alike in order to form a more perfect union. It is time to live up to those aspirations.
“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. ”
The George Floyd protests are not the same as others during my lifetime, with perhaps the exception of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles when I was 3 years old. The rage is palpable, even from the other side of the Atlantic. In 1962, the year of the Mississippi riots, John F. Kennedy remarked that “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable,” and we have reached the inevitable. I will admit that I have not understood the full context of the peaceful protests over the last decades, from Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the anthem to the outrage over the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray and far too many others. I may not have directly been part of the problem, but I certainly was not helping to create a better, more just country.
The Declaration of Independence was not the first salvo of protest against unjust rule. It was the last act of an oppressed people to free themselves from tyranny, following years of civil unrest, both peaceful and otherwise. Indeed, many of those who signed it did so with trepidation, knowing that there was no return from this act. It took courage to create, to sign, and to deliver the document that severed ties with the only country that many had ever known. It will take courage now to live up to, and enact, the founding principles now.
The Stamp Act collectors’ refused to enact the law in 1765 was a peaceful protest; as was dumping tea into Boston harbor in 1770. The failure of the British government to listen to its citizens when protesting peacefully and their violent response to many of them poured fuel on the fire and led to Lexington and Concord, and the Revolution itself. It has become clear that peace is no longer an option for change for the Black community. It is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish [government] and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles. We are seeing Americans act on that Right.
I deeply believe in America. I believe that the country can be the more-perfect union that it set out to be. I know we have lost our way, but we are not beyond saving. To quote James Baldwin, ”I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” I believe that we can rise to the challenge of creating a nation that lives up to its founding, and goes forward in the world as a standard-bearer. We are not there now, and the road to change is constant and painful, and at times violent. I do not know how to create this change - I have no idea what the path forward will look like, and I have never been more worried about our nation, but I also have never seen the desire for change so strong, and I truly hope that this is the moment where the citizens can achieve what was set out 243 years ago - a nation built on Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, with Liberty and Justice for all.
Header Image: Google Images