The Miracle Revolution

Watched CNBC Saturday evening with Tim Russert interviewing David McCullough, author of the #1 bestseller 1776. As he told the stories of the events of that beginning year of the American Revolution, I was struck by the incredibly unbelieveable events that took place in the American Revolution. Changes in weather, young men with crazy ideas among much else, combined to make the American Revolution a story that no one would believe if it weren't true.

As McCullough pointed out, it is also one of the few revolutions that didn't turn in on itself and self-destruct. The other two BIG revolutions- the French and Russian- both turned out very badly- as do most revolutions. What made the American Revolution so different?

One thing was George Washington. Here was a man of incredible integrity and understanding of what democratic ideals really mean. Here was a man who set the model of leadership. Even old King George in England couldn't believe that a man would set down from power of his own free will and accord as Washington did at the end of his second term.

I think another thing was that we were truly living an experiment that no one had ever tried, in a place that had no "western, white, European history" to get in the way. Reading McCullough's book on John Adams and Joseph Ellis's Founding Brothers, we see that there was a great deal of disagreement and the ever-present possibility that the revolution would be lost. But they made some compromises (on slavery, for one) and gave the nation the chance.

The result is what we have today. No, this is not the most divided our nation has ever been. 1776 was pretty dangerous. The Civil War was downright frightening. The 1960s came close to the Civil War. No. The fact that we are still allowed to disagree, the fact that we can debate and criticize and fly the flag or not fly the flag- many, many things say that the country is still doing what it has alwas done.

But, yes, it is a fragile thing. Roosevelt tried to change some of it by packing the Supreme Court. He didn't succeed. Nixon tried to make it into his own powerhouse. He failed. One small change in either suituation, however, and the story could have been much different. The Patriot Act walks a very fine line. The fact that many people say we should be willing to give up some of the Bill of Rights (civil liberties) for safety, is worrisome.

On this Fourth of July, I give thanks to my God and Creator that I have been blessed to be born in the United States. It is purely by an accident of birth that I have the rights and freedoms of this great nation. Over 35 years ago a friend of mine wrote me a letter from the armed forces. He simply said that "freedom is far too precious to be given up as easily as I did mine." We must not lose sight of the power and blessings of freedom. Without freedom our nation will not long survive as the great country it is. Eat away at the freedoms, even in the name of a very nebulous idea called "security" and you have neither freedom nor security.

O beautiful for heroes prov'd
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life.
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears.
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.