I like history, but am not really well educated in that subject. With that disclaimer, I will say that I believe our country was the first nation in history to be founded because of ideas, not just self interest or based on military might. Now, I know some pundits claim the revolution occurred due to taxes and economic interests. Certainly that cannot be entirely discounted, but it became clear that we wanted an entirely different kind of government than any that had ever been established and certainly different from the government that we broke away from. We did not want Britain's model, taxes or no taxes. I don't think often enough about the patriots who risked everything to start our country and the soldiers who fought for years, against all odds and against the most powerful military nation in the world, for our benefit. It is one thing to fight when there is a good chance or even a decent chance of winning. It is quite a different thing to fight when it appears that there is no hope, that you are doomed to defeat,to fail and to die. But that is what the soldiers in the Continental Army and the various militias did as well as the politicians, yes politicians, who defied Britain.
Now, we are still working to achieve the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, races and gender were not included in our pursuit of those ideals until much later. But progress has been made and is being made, perhaps more slowly than is justified. Especially in view of the sacrifices and risks the patriots who established this country incurred, we need to keep the ideals our country was founded upon always in mind. We need to press forward to achieve those ideals.
Now, we are still working to achieve the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, races and gender were not included in our pursuit of those ideals until much later. But progress has been made and is being made, perhaps more slowly than is justified. Especially in view of the sacrifices and risks the patriots who established this country incurred, we need to keep the ideals our country was founded upon always in mind. We need to press forward to achieve those ideals.
