Ideal Society

Ideal Society

“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.” In 1776, on July 4, Americans affirmed that they were free of the long-held, yet patronizing view that ordinary people are inept at self-government. These pioneers boldly declared that government is not a supreme entity to which the governed are subordinate, but rather it is an instrument of the people, by which, and more importantly through which, the peoples’ desires are achieved by their own accord. When he wrote, “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” Thomas Jefferson so eloquently put into words the consensus of an oppressed people, that governing power is derived from the masses, and from there, ultimately from God in Heaven.

One of the influences of the Declaration of Independence, and the notions from which it originated, was European philosopher John Locke, who said that the “state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind who will but consult it that, being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, liberty, or possessions.” Here, Locke is manifestly stating that all willing men are able to participate in self-government, and that thusly, the government is actually subordinate to the people themselves. Through millennia of oppression by the few, this view that men are competent, through prudence and reason, to directly affect and participate in government, has become distorted and perversed by corruptive leaders seeking self-satisfaction. In boldly calling these ideas “self-evident,” Jefferson proclaims that the contrary should be obvious to all, through revelation from God, Who is certainly the origin of these rights.

Dr. Alan Keyes, former Ambassador and now a political commentator, asserted that the Declaration of Independence does not merely set forth a doctrine of liberty, and is not just a creed of equality. It is an understanding of the basic derivations of governing authority, and in that an understanding of the responsibility that the governed must accept should they wish to enjoy freedom in an ideal society. The United States Constitution, in its Second Amendment, ensures the right of Americans to keep and bear arms. In ignorance, many feel this to be an outdated policy, or even one which causes danger to personal liberty. However, this is not simply a right of the people, so that they may go and kill deer for entertainment or even for food. Nor is this is even a right of the people for the purpose of deterring burglars. Jefferson sets forth the idea 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 a new Government…” A people with the desire to be free have not the right, but the duty, to arm themselves against a potentially corrupt government. If a body of government clearly and systematically is intrusive on a peoples’ personal rights, and is oppressive of their liberties given by God, it is their duty to alter or abolish it, lest they live under subjugation. This amazingly insightful document invites its participants to be educated that as a free people, or a people wishing to be free, they have the duty and responsibility to maintain the ability to overthrow a government which shows a clear trend of extreme abuse and oppression.

The generation of America’s Founding Fathers was born into a world where despotism, tyranny, and slavery were common. (Brinkley) They were brought up in an age subject to the philosophy and practice of institutions based upon inequality and the denial of human freedom. It is amazing to ponder that these great founders’ recognition and far-reaching declaration of the civil rights of man which are common to all. During that time in history, totalitarianism and inequality were not generally thought of to be conditions that were at all unusual or even able to be altered. Nevertheless, the founders were clever, audacious, and prudent enough to be aware of the reality of necessary common rights and to set into motion the ideas of that liberty and freedom which would topple years of dictatorship and develop into the basis for a triumphant effort. There are those who insist on demeaning the founders or disregarding the complete history of liberty introduced by them. However, a citizen wishing to be free must ask the question posed by Keyes: does one wish to be identified with a generation which, though brought up in an age of commonplace and accepted slavery, planted the seeds of liberty, or with a generation that, brought up in an age of liberty, plants the seeds of renewed slavery and bondage?

America is indeed an ideal society. An emigrant French aristocrat turned farmer, De Crevecoeur expressed that, though not perfect, she represents the ideals given by those with such insight on the matter. America is a nation of nations, combining peoples from all over the world. Foreigners come to America with the express desire to enjoy her freedoms, with the knowledge that they can enjoy personal liberties which should be common to everyone. America strives to show that humans are of one race, and can all live together as the same people, regardless of amounts of skin pigmentation or of theological differences. The I Timothy 4:4 states that “every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused.” Some say that to use divine references in the persuasion of ideals is to be religiously biased. But it must be understood that the founders of America proclaimed that all governing authority came from “a firm reliance on Divine Providence.” (Jefferson.) The Liberty Bell is inscribed with the words of Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” (Brinkley.)

According to Keyes, a common well intentioned but ignorantly incorrect thought of a model of an ideal society is a government of strict comprehensive laws with the aim of protecting a peoples’ freedom. This way of thinking, however, is motivated yet misguided. As the number of laws increase, so increases the level of intrusion into the personal freedom of those subject to these laws. In lieu of a large and expansive government full of laws to direct every facet of a person’s life, America’s founders wanted a government to assist in creating and maintaining an ideal society in which people are near complete freedom. This was expressly stated in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution when they defined that the role of government was to “provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty.” That is the only purpose of government. They understood that there is no need for numerous laws which result in the limitations of rights and freedoms and thusly evolve into an ultimately oppressive society. Keyes expressed their design in saying, “it was a vision of freedom based upon the fear of God and the respect for law.”

America must regain these ideals. Infected by corrupt liberal politicians who are in power and wish for a divided society, the country is constantly moving away from the vision set forth by the writers of the Declaration of Independence and of the U.S. Constitution. Contemporary America and her inhabitants allow for laws which are intrusive to liberty and to justice. Anti-gun laws exist with the mistaken idea that crime can be reduced by the removal of private gun ownership. This is a horrible infringement on the rights given by God. The very principle of an ideal society, on which America is base, is that every citizen of such a society has the ability to protect these freedoms and liberties. This ability includes using violent means if necessary. Americans must be reeducated and informed that they solely bear the responsibility of maintaining the enjoyment of an ideal society, through which people govern themselves. This elucidation was the aim of President Lincoln when he said,

Let every one who really believes, and is resolved, that free society is not, and shall not be, a failure, and who can conscientiously declare that in the past contest he has done only what he thought best – let every such one have charity to believe that every other one can say as much. Thus, let bygones be bygones. Let past differences, as nothing be. And with steady eye on the real issue, let us re-inaugurate the good old “central ideas” of the Republic. We can do it. The human heart is with us – God is with us. We shall again be able not to declare, that “all States as States, are equal,” nor yet that “all citizens as citizens are equal,” but to renew the broader, better declaration, including both these and much more, that “all men are created equal.

Bibliography

Brinkley, Alan. American History: A Survey. Columbus: McGraw-Hill College, 2002.

De Crevecoeur, J Hector. Letters from an American Farmer (Oxford World’s Classics). Oxford University Press, 1999.

Jefferson, Thomas. “Declaration of Independence.” Current Issues and Enduring Questions A Guide to Critical Thinking and Argument, with Readings. 7^th Ed. Bedford,St. Martin’s, 2004.

Keyes, Alan. Our Character, Our Future. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

King James Bible. Holman Bible Publishers: Nashville, 1979.

Lincoln, Abraham. “Speech at a Republican Banquet.” teachingamericanhistory.org

McPherson, CB. and John Locke. “John Locke Second Treatise of Government.” Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, 1980.

Pilon, Roger. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Washington: Cato Institute, 2000.