In my last piece, it was concluded that America is not purely her people or purely her land, but that both are irreplaceable supports to her legitimacy, bound together by the ideals that we aim to steward through the ages. Just as the timbers are the main tenets of Theseus’ ship, the American people are the sole inheritors of the philosophy forged 250 years ago. In both parallels, the subjects have one job: to harmoniously work together on the mission to keep their respective structures robust.
Yet one thing I (purposely) neglected to address is the issue in the modern day. How are we managing this task of carrying the principles most deeply embedded in our nation’s founding philosophy? Have we always (and are we now) staying true to the principles of limited government and political prudence? Or is the necessity of these truths already forgotten, only to be replaced by a more totalitarian form of rule to satisfy our lowest appetites?
Clearly, all thanks to our fortitudinous system, our missteps have not (yet) accomplished Titanic-level breakage. Still, there are severe wounds that we have inflicted upon the same system, rendering it quite battered.
It is not necessary to run through every generation’s faults to find where the greatest weaknesses in our political system lie. One could (and at the appropriate times, should) whine about the minutiae of the passing of the 17th amendment, the detriment of the FACE Act, or the modern interpretation of the 14th Amendment, yet now, it is more useful to inspect the underlying insufficiencies that have allowed such injustices to happen. This is what I venture to accomplish, to one degree or another, today.
In the Federalist Papers, Publius (the pen name Hamilton, Madison, and Jay wrote under) is careful not to forget the primary condition under which a republic remains (strong): the vigilance of the people that the system is being created of, by, and for.
“If it be asked, what is to restrain the House of Representatives from making legal discriminations in favor of themselves and a particular class of the society? I answer: the genius of the whole system; the nature of just and constitutional laws; and above all, the vigilant and manly spirit which actuates the people of America - a spirit which nourishes freedom, and in return is nourished by it.
If this spirit shall ever be so far debased as to tolerate a law not obligatory on the legislature, as well as on the people, the people will be prepared to tolerate anything but liberty.”
-James Madison, Federalist 57
The continued call to arms is not merely a rhetorical strategy meant to arouse the competitive spirits of the first American people and arm them with the necessary facts to argue effectively with their anti-federalist counterparts. In these words lies an uncomfortable and difficult, yet unchanging truth: the ship of America will sink if the efforts of the people are ever completely smothered.
Publius knew the Constitution is only as strong as her people are. Publius also knew that the people are also the most fickle variable in the American experiment.
So where must we go from here? How appropriately do we regard this command that our forefathers adopted when Rhode Island became the ninth and final state needed to ratify the Constitution?
At least for the past few decades, I would argue that we have not done very well.
If a timber is not properly integrated into the Ship, it will cease to work harmoniously with the rest of the vessel. If this happens with every single piece that is used as a replacement, the form of the ship will be disappointed. It is then that the ship will cease to be the same. This idea differs only slightly when it is applied to humans’ integration into a country in that there is an added layer of complexity.
There are two different types of integration into American society. Our error is in our neglect of one of them.
There are two ways that new generations are introduced into a country: birth and immigration. Although there are radically different processes for each group, both must go through the same process of cultural and ideological integration to properly inherit the spirit of American vigilance and prudence.
Although the two overlap, cultural integration is universally the easiest type of integration to accomplish. Given the glamour of American clothing, food, and various other cultural relics, it is not difficult to find oneself embracing some aspect of our culture. When a child is born, he is dressed in clothes that are popular in American culture to wear. When he goes off to school, he uses the same backpack, has a similar (if not identical) accent as his friends, and engages in the American education system (for better or worse). Even one who is not originally from this country and only mildly willing to assimilate must by necessity invest in an American home, buy American groceries, and make American friends.
Of course, culture does not boil down to objects we use, eat, and wear, but these are the icons that humans first notice in a new environment, and are invaluable to creating a cohesive society. Culture does not seek to make individuals identical, but to make a people identifiable.
The second type of integration I believe is one Americans generations ago had forgotten about, and is where we cease to address Publius’ top mandate.
When I discuss ideological integration, I seek not to invoke specific political parties or ideologies, but the central philosophy that all citizens must accept for the country to remain a force for good (or, for that matter, a force at all). Neither am I calling for all Americans to adopt one specific religion when I say that successful ideological integration of new generations is the only way in which the harmonious spirit of our country can be reignited and continue on for another 250 years.
Although natural-born children may have grown up in this country for the entirety of their lives, it is no longer a guarantee that they will come to appreciate the central ideas of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our children may grow up to drive Ford cars, wear occidental apparel, and watch the annual Super Bowl game, but the viral man-on-the-street interviews make our failure to inculcate American values abundantly clear.
Reagan’s comment about freedom never being more than one generation away from extinction is often hailed as a nearly perfect example of the American spirit by both sides of the political spectrum, but the implicit message in his words is still overlooked by nearly every figure who cites them. Reagan was not making this declaration in passing, with the purpose of exciting an audience and compelling a short applause. His words plead for proper education of our youth about the true meaning and importance of liberty and justice for all.
No child, regardless of the car he drives, clothes he wears, and sports he watches, should be automatically assumed a patriot. If he is not taught the merits of fighting for his country and loving her unconditionally, it is dangerous to assume he will grow up and take his ancestors’ place as a strong and willing timber.
It is the lack of ideological integration that has led the youngest generations to record-low military service, voter registration, and pride in our great country. No patriot that has ever roamed these lands became one accidentally. He was shown the beauty of the values that made him so fortunate and presented the fruits of the liberties his ancestors fought tirelessly for him to enjoy. The second we stop teaching these values to the future generations in their entirety is the second our nation stops being the nation that declared herself independent in 1776.
It is this that I pray to never be so.
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