The 249th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is a time to celebrate the founding of our nation—an ambitious, imperfect, and ongoing experiment in self-government. We have come a long way since 1776. Today, the United States is one of the world’s most free, powerful, influential, and wealthy nations.
Even so, we can always be better. Many Americans are deeply frustrated with the partisan bickering in Congress and their problem-solving ability. It’s a problem that has been going on for many decades and seems to be getting worse.
Much of the problem seems to come down to partisan gridlock. Most of our representatives and senators spend most of their time grandstanding about how awful their opposition is. Personal attacks on other members and their party are not constructive; they only serve to create a toxic atmosphere, making it hard to work together.
Part of the challenge lies in how our government was designed. The people who wrote the Constitution split power between the president, Congress, and the courts. They even split power inside Congress between the House and the Senate.
Their goal was to prevent any one person, faction, or branch of government from taking too much power and ruling unchecked.
They knew this structure might slow progress, but they believed the risk of tyranny was worse than the inconvenience of gridlock.
Gridlock makes it tempting to think that we need to change the rules to let “our side” win more easily. We discussed that in an earlier post. There are several problems with that option: corruption, an uncertain business environment, political purges of government service providers, and a high risk of political violence.
The only way out of this situation is for “we the people” to vote for representatives and senators willing to work with “the other side” to solve our problems.
And the only way to do that is for “we the people” to pay attention to primary elections – not just the general presidential and mid-term elections.
Primaries are often held at odd times. But if you want a government that solves more of today’s problems, then taking the time to vote—or supporting candidates who are willing to listen and work across party lines with your time—can make a real difference.
Beyond that, we ask that you show respect to all of your fellow Americans. Respect doesn’t always require agreement. It means recognizing each person’s dignity and treating them with the same consideration and kindness you would want for yourself. One thing is for sure – you won’t get them on your side by ignoring them or disrespecting them.
As it says in the last line of the Declaration of Independence, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” United we stand, divided we fall.
