The 250th Fourth of July

The Fourth of July celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This year marks the 250th anniversary of that event which founded a new nation in rebellion against tyranny. This was to be a nation with limited government powers, such that We, The People, would be free to become ourselves with as minimal interference as possible. We have to see The American Founding in the context of a human history where kings and tyrants long held absolute or near-absolute power. The first Americans courageously stood up to this entrenched tradition. One could argue that a pharaoh‘s power back in Ancient Egypt was tolerated by ordinary Egyptians. In 2026 (and even back in 1776), however, nobody wants a king. The Founding of America was a revolutionary deed from the future.

There are people today who claim the American ideal is no longer relevant or is prejudiced from the start. They say we should tear the whole thing down and start from scratch. Most often, such voices come from the far Left. I acknowledge some of the grievances behind those sentiments like perpetual poverty, racism, and other ways in which the game is rigged and unfair, even though I have a different opinion of how to solve them. In my opinion, there is not something wrong with the American ideal, and we should not tear it down because we haven’t actually realized it yet. At various points in the pursuit of that ideal, we deviated from it, and that is why these problems remain. It’s not because we haven’t yet established a Marxist state (which would be a nightmare).

Returning to the Fourth of July, we celebrate it with fireworks, parades, and cookouts. Are such celebrations doing justice to the American ideal? Do they bring us any closer to realizing the destiny of America?

Why The Fourth of July Matters

The Fourth of July matters because America, even today, remains a revolutionary idea. Do you think the rest of the world, modernized as it has become, enjoys anywhere near the freedom we enjoy here? My father is an immigrant. Most of my best friends are as well. I’ve often asked them why they stay here and don’t return to their countries. Inevitably, the answer I get always comes back to freedom. We have less restriction, less bureaucracy, and more freedom to do and become what we want. That is a pearl of great price.

It is also a pearl of great responsibility, however. As Americans, many of us take this freedom for granted because we haven’t lived under oppressive regimes. Yet, the idea some of us hold of freedom is warped. The government, for example, encourages us to join the military to “fight for freedom,” but I’m not sure that’s the right fight. All too often in the last 60 years, it seems like American militarism has deviated from its charter as a primarily defensive mission to becoming an oppressive one aimed at protecting capital interests. Does fighting for corporate profits equate to fighting for freedom?

The Founding Fathers were suspicious of large standing armies. Today, it feels like a game of thrones; yet, the problem is thrones, themselves! Isn’t that the point of the Fourth of July? James Madison even believed part of the military’s role was to protect citizens against an overly tyrannical government (Madison, 1788, para. 44)!

The Right Fight

Now, I do think the American Ideal is worth fighting for, but not in the way we are usually told. Our biggest threats don’t come from outside for the most part. I wouldn’t even say they come from specific individuals within the country. Rather, our biggest threat comes from a false understanding of what freedom really is and how to bring it about.

True freedom is a spiritual thing. It is not a material thing. It is true we need our basic needs met in order to pursue real freedom, but no amount of money and stuff will ever get us there. A proper Threefold Social Order seeks to arrange society in a rational way so everybody’s basic needs are met, freeing us to pursue our spiritual, God-given destinies. One can only understand how to bring real freedom about en masse when one understands the Threefold Social Order. A full explanation of such is beyond the scope of this article, but visit the link above to read more about it.

The problem with too many Americans’ view of freedom is that it remains earthbound. This is because their culture is one of economic hoarding and exploitation. Freedom doesn’t mean you get to amass an unlimited amount of wealth and control of resources. Yet, where a spiritual goal for life is absent, humans will resort to material gods. A large part of America is spiritually bankrupt, and that is why they golden calves of stuff. This perverted idea of freedom causes us to refuse the responsibility freedom actually entails.

The Fourth of July: A Holiday of Freedom

So, what will it take for us to understand true freedom, what the Founding Fathers, either knowingly or unknowingly, brought as a new impulse onto the earth? And, if we did, how differently would we commemorate their brave act on July 4, 1776, especially on this 250th anniversary of it?

That is the riddle we have to meditate and act upon if we are to save the ship. A complete renovation of our culture will entail establishing a Threefold Social Order, and then freedom will ring not just for some but for all. An introduction to this is presented to students in our various middle school blocks, and they get really excited about it. This next generation knows that, “Houston, we have a problem,” and they are enthusiastic about doing something about it. Enkindle Academy is unique among homeschool providers in teaching youth about this, especially among the classical homeschool world. They highlight the problems, but they don’t seem to have the right map for the solutions. That’s why I think this is so important. So, checkout a free sample lesson to get your children started learning about real solutions. Godspeed to us all.

How to Connect

Enkindle Academy offers prerecorded and live lessons for students in grades 5-9, encouraging students to deepen their reverence for nature and adopt sustainable, regenerative attitudes towards her. We teach all academic subjects plus fine arts, creative writing and language arts, and empowerment groups for teens.

Our Creative Writing Class meets weekly. We are always accepting new students, and enrollment is growing rapidly. When we have enough students, we open up new sections. Visit us at the following link to signup or get more info: https://enkindleacademy.com/live-creative-writing-for-youth

Our Teen Empowerment Class also meets weekly. We are always accepting new students. If you want your youth in a tightly knit, warm, and welcoming group of peers with a loving guide who keeps them focused on the good, beautiful, and true come check us out. Visit us at the following link to signup or get more info: https://enkindleacademy.com/live-teen-empowerment-class.

Signup for a free sample lesson now.

References:

1. Madison, J. (1788). Federalist No. 46: The influence of the state and federal governments compared. In The Avalon Project. Yale Law School. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed46.asp