Most are familiar with the opening lines to the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal…” But the Declaration begins with a short explanation of it’s necessity. Jefferson, ever the gentleman, wrote the Declaration under the assumption that “a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” It is striking to me that this letter, inflammatory as it is, is nonetheless tempered with “respect” for its readers and their opinions, oppressive tyrants though they be.
That is, I suppose, the thing I have come to believe is at the heart of America’s strength as a Nation. As the philosopher Bernard Henri-Levi notes, America…
“…never was and never will be founded on the continuity of a race,.. the solidity of a soil, or on an intrinsic autochthony or even a shared history.. “
Instead, we are a nation…
“… forged by people of diverse origins who had nothing in common but this sharing …of a desire and an Idea.”
We are a people whose roots are tangled up in the Idea that a diversity of thought strengthens us just a diversity of culture enriches us.
If your celebration of America is peppered with the notion that certain opinions, certain philosophies and certain people must be silenced or defeated (or deported) in order to enjoy your America, your celebration is… well, unAmerican. It is a vast, complex and truly great conversation we have entered into and entertained for over 230 years; it’s energy is provided by the tension between cultures, opinions, theories and world-views. No, we do not always carry the conversation well; but we are exactly at our worst when we react poorly; when we receive the differing political, religious and philosophical thoughts of another as ONLY a threat to our way of life and not, at least in some way, an enrichment of a diverse, growing and still young nation.
Don’t get me wrong: I am no dualist. I believe in one, uniform, whole, encompassing Truth which pervades and permeates all life, space and time… I just don’t think we arrive at anything resembling that Truth by silencing, much less insulting the “other guy.” I believe, in fact, that discovering that Truth or coming to an understanding of what is good for a people happens best in the context of a sincere and spirited conversation; one with the foundation of “a decent respect.”
Happy 4th of July.
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Get out of my country!
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Justin Reply:
July 4th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
@Lance… it’s as if you don’t get it.
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Justin, I appreciate your posting. Thanks for sharing!! We can respect diversity without agreeing with all that it encompasses. I am not threatened by those who have a different view than I. I don’t think this is the case with Lance?
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Justin Reply:
July 5th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
I don’t think Lance is threatened by other peoples ideas; he enjoys a good debate with clear-minded men and women. He is threatened by frozen yogurt and misplaced modifiers.
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Bill B, get out of my country!
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“If your celebration of America is peppered with the notion that certain opinions, certain philosophies and certain people must be silenced or defeated (or deported) in order to enjoy your America, your celebration is… well, unAmerican. It is a vast, complex and truly great conversation we have entered into and entertained for over 230 years; it’s energy is provided by the tension between cultures, opinions, theories and world-views. No, we do not always carry the conversation well; but we are exactly at our worst when we react poorly; when we receive the differing political, religious and philosophical thoughts of another as ONLY a threat to our way of life and not, at least in some way, an enrichment of a diverse, growing and still young nation.”
This paragraph confuses me. I have no idea what you are talking about. The second sentence, where you confuse freedom of speech and protecting the borders of a nation, where you somehow equate the two is just “mumbo jumbo”…
Some well meaning Christians in some way try to compare the USA with the perfection of Christ, and use the the lack of the former as an excuse to peddle the even poorer ideas of godless socialist ideas of ones such as Marx or Che Guevara.
In your first paragraph you make this statement, “It is striking to me that this letter, inflammatory as it is, is nonetheless tempered with “respect” for its readers and their opinions, oppressive tyrants though they be.”… then you equate that statement with this, “We are a people whose roots are tangled up in the Idea that a diversity of thought strengthens us just a diversity of culture enriches us.”. Ideas the founding fathers never intended, if you think they did, find me quote by one of them stating it.
Your entire statement is without semblance of forethought or fact, one I find lacking any real merit based on the founding principles of this nation. This nation was founded on the idea that all people were created equal under God, with freedom of speech against an oppressive government, and the ability to freely make changes to that government if it oversteps its bounds.
Nowhere is there even the idea that our founding principles are a conversation to be interpreted… they are a hedge that girds our nation, as imperfect as it is. Furthermore, it is a ridiculous notion that we can leave our borders porous to anyone who wants to cross them, this is a ludicrous idea. No nation has ever in the history of the earth presupposed this idea, if anyone buys this outright fraud they are dissolutional at best.
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Don’t you hate it when you go back and re-read something you wrote the next morning and scratch your head a bit (Pliney The Elder didn’t help). Anyways, I would like to retract my above statement, and apologize.
Mike R
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Ahoy Mike.
I’m not sure if you’re the same Mike I remember from the old geekboard, but I hope so. Glad to see you’re imbibing world class grog.
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