July 4th is celebrated as the day the Declaration of Independence was signed. It did not free whites, blacks, Asians, Native Americans or anyone else. But it did things for more important. And it should be celebrated by all humans that believe in the struggle to attain human rights for all people.
The Declaration of Independence served two purposes. It created an "aspirational goal" never before embraced by a society, that all men were created equal and possess the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And that governments exist to protect those rights and when they fail to do so lose their legitimacy to rule.
Without the right of liberty, slavery would have no moral grounds for ending. Without every human having the right to their liberty, slavery is simply an institution within the context of humanity. Because of the Declaration of Independence, the core values of human rights, have not only resulted in the US moving towards that original aspirational goal, but to some extent imposing human rights on other societies and thereby freeing millions if not billions from societies where human rights did not exist.
And when we celebrate Independence Day, we should be cognizant that the work is not done. Billions of people around the world still do not enjoy the basic human rights that we as a nation believe should be unalienable. Moreover, we should be on guard against ideologies that offer to create a "better world" if only we surrender some of our rights and freedoms.
Whether one is talking about whites, women, blacks, Native Americans, gay people and every other group that has struggled to achieve their human rights, it is clear human rights are so much harder to achieve than to surrender. There will always be some ideology promoted by politicians, academics, and others promising you a "better life" if you will only surrender your freedom and liberty to them, so that they can better manage our society and your life.
Our nation is being seduced by such an ideology called progressive liberalism. It promises to make the world a better place by sharing the income and wealth of society. It promises to take from the rich and give to the poor. But has that ever worked? Are the citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, China, etc. better off without their freedom? July 4th should be a reason for everyone to celebrate and reflect on whether they truly want freedom or are they prepared to surrender for it for a price.
