Chatterbox: A call for choice and commitment

The men who are often referred to as our Founding Fathers were not the founders of this nation. A nation existed here long before their arrival.
The world is very old, and evidence of humans even on this continent dates back about 23,000 years. Additionally, we know the indigenous people lived here tribally for over 2,000 years before the Mayflower. So, this nation was founded long before the “Founders” found it. The physical evidence of these truths, and reliable references to it, are easily researched.
A better title for these men who came to a land that already had a civilization of many tribes living on it and restructured it as their own, would be The Writers of the Declaration of Independence or the Framers of the Constitution, because that’s really who they were and what they did. They were strangers from another place looking for freedom and opportunity. They structured a government under which we, now, all try to live. So, when we think of refugees and immigrants, it would be better if we all remember who’s who in America, and on our family tree as well. Even they who arrived on the Mayflower were refugees.
Now, nearly 250 years after the Declaration of Independence, we seem to be faced with the necessity to determine, yet again, what kind of nation we want to be, who we are as a nation, whom to function for, and how to function. It’s a sad commentary even as slow learners go.
We simply either are, or are not, a democracy. Today, we often hear leaders and citizens alike promulgating that this nation was based on a Judeo-Christian foundation. If that were ever true, we never were and still are not a democracy. If we want this nation to be a nation where white is the ruling class or, indeed, to be a nation with a class system of any nature at all, we have sealed our fate not only as a nation but as people … and we are not a democracy. We can’t have it both ways.
We are a nation birthed of trauma. No matter which direction we look, there was damage. Sure, there was great effort too, truly fair hearts, great intentions and much sacrifice. These all were made by, of, for, with, without, and about so many. Still, what we advocate individually determines what we advocate collectively. Despite everything – the brutality, greatness, fairness or injustice assumed in trying to build a better place for people in general – if we aren’t a true democracy, we have failed … and if we don’t continue to fight to be a true democracy, we continue to fail, at great cost.

This will remain true despite all effort and sacrifice until we the people force our legislators to effect stealthy, permanent change on behalf of the largest portion of our population, instead of legislating changes that benefit the powerful and wealthy under the guise of national strength.
Even as the writers of the Constitution were writing the document that would create a new nation, they were wise enough to build into it the ability for it, itself, to be changed. They, themselves, knew, even as they were creating it, that the document was imperfect. They understood it would be limited even in their attempt, or guise, to create a nation without limits. They knew the document would grow more imperfect as the new nation evolved, and that it must evolve with the nation or all would be rendered a total loss.
They also knew this: that, even as they cast these words into history in the Declaration of Independence, “… we hold these truths to be evident, that all men are created equal…” the new nation they were creating restricted these ideals. Moreover, even some of those who signed it didn’t want that broad application … then, or ever. Until we all apply the true meaning of that phrase, broadly, into both legislation and everyday life, we are not a democracy. The term simply doesn’t apply.
Today, we know that even as the Constitution may evolve and laws may change, we cannot legislate the hearts of mankind. Until hearts are changed, the complexion of the nation cannot change because laws are words, but change requires action.
The persuasion of a mind is very surreptitious. The perversion of one is even more so. We must examine ourselves to see who we want to be as Americans, and make it happen.

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