Have you ever built a house? If so, you know the necessity of a solid foundation. Today we'll be discussing specifically the intentional foundations of the American Republic.
I grew up remodeling and building with my father. In the summer between my junior and senior year of high school, we built a family home at a nearby lake. We built from the ground up. It was a summer's learning experience that has served me well throughout my lifetime. Dad's crew consisted of my mother, two sisters, and myself. What a summer! Sweat, sunburn, aching muscles, and long hours. But...we did it and have enjoyed the fruits of our labors for many years now.
What, you might be asking, does my story have to do with the founding of our nation? Simply this. Just like a home needs a solid, well-designed foundation in order to withstand the use and weathering of time, so too does human government. Without a good foundation, a house lacks structural integrity and may become damaged beyond repair. Without our founding principles of freedom, America could suffer the same.
Laying The Foundation of The American Republic
America's founding principles are being challenged right now. There are those who would tear down and start over with the design of our government. There are those crying for socialism. Conservatives understand the danger of this mindset. Our Founders were intentional and thoughtful in the actions and negotiations that led to our founding documents. They were well-read, chose to take lessons from both history and philosophical writings, and pursued government to unite certain necessary governing functions based on needs for the common good of all men. They carefully framed and designed a foundation based on principles that would ensure mankind the best opportunity to thrive and achieve freedom from the rule of tyrannical leaders. It's worked for well over two hundred years.
This is what we'll be talking about at WYO Conservative. What are the principles of freedom and why are they important? Have the founding principles of America become outdated and old-fashioned? Irrelevant to modern society?
Let's look a little deeper than some of the political rhetoric we are inundated with today. Let's think for ourselves as we examine freedom. Let's check the foundation for cracks.
“We must never despair; our situation has been compromising before, and it changed for the better; so I trust it will be again. If difficulties arise, we must put forth new exertion and proportion our efforts to the exigencies of the times.” ~ George Washington
My father's wish when we built the lake house was that it would be a gathering place for our family for generations. It's becoming just that. Why? In part, because the foundations of the home and the family are sure and strong. While we've all had the remodeling bug since those early days and the house is now getting a little face-lift, the bottom line is there are underpinnings that make the lake house worth the time and effort to fix up.
I'd propose that America is the same. Difficulties have arisen but the underpinnings are so solid, so logical, and based in hope for the human spirit, that we can weather the current storm. We can do a little fix up, "put forth new exertion," as George Washington suggested, and enjoy our American home for generations yet to come!
Join us for the conversation. Subscribe so you get all our posts. We're not going to assail you with political rhetoric. We're just going to talk some common sense and think together with you about the principles of freedom in this great nation.
Citations
Washington, G. (2003). Quotations of George Washington. Applewood Books.
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