Somewhere away from the angry protests, a black father is showing his son Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms; thereby explaining the American Dream that drove heroes to fight for independence in 1776, end slavery in 1861, defeat fascism in 1941, and storm burning towers to save lives in 2001. This July 4th, celebrate the Four Freedoms – of Speech and Worship, from Want or Fear. The story of Washington’s false teeth might anger you, but that is no reason to be a cynic on Independence Day.
Rockwell’s Freedom of Speech is apropos today, when cancel culture wants to cleanse US history. Black author Charles Love puts American history into context: “In the late 18th century, most of the world was ruled by tribal leaders who gained power through conquests, or monarchs [through] family lineage, [who] treated citizens as subjects. The Declaration of Independence [and] the Constitution that followed, turned history on its head” – because of “natural Rights, granted to man by God.”
Love writes, “too many blacks believe America is racist and it’s founding principles don’t include all citizens.” He disagrees: “This country is as much ours as it is anybody else’s – and has been since the beginning.” For this reason, actor Morgan Freeman doesn’t want a black history month: “black history IS American history.” In other words, a complete US history should teach the ideals, credit the authors, and admit early Americans did not afford the freedoms to all.
Because of free speech Barack Obama (D-IL) can say a young America was not perfect and Tim Scott (R-SC) can say the South has evolved – without either black man being booed. And, if cancel-culture humbugs were 100% honest, they would see the nuance of early America. To wit, faithful Quakers declared neutrality and freed their slaves in 1776; acts that did not stop Adams, Jefferson and Washington from welcoming them as full citizens in 1787.
One Rockwell ideal we have squandered is the Freedom from Fear, despite the fall of the Soviet Union. At the time of civil-rights marches, black citizens feared KKK terror. When John Lennon recorded Imagine, all Americans feared nuclear war. Now, there are more staged hate crimes than real KKK lynchings, and the fear du jour is to be called “racist” by woke militants. This is how identity politics works; pitting oppressed good groups against privileged bad groups.
Identity politics is overwhelmed by self-awareness grievances, such as voiced by Somali-born Ilan Omar (D-MN) about the oppression of “otherness” in America. Her talking points include bad teens taunting her for Muslim attire in high school and good American Muslims needing to speak defensively after “some people did something” on 9-11. Perhaps if she heeded Freeman’s advice to end racism: “stop talking about it.”
The anti-Semitic Omar and her rabble-rousing Squad aren’t the policing-problem solution. She has no self-survival grievance akin to George Floyd begging cops for his life. In fact, most of her woke screeds are personal gripes about her “otherness” offending other US citizens. I think she should solve her marital and campaign-finance woes before asking we the people to live in communities with under-funded police departments that actively guarantee our Freedom from Fear.
I’ll leave you with Charles Love’s words to his son. “I cannot shield you from the world: you will be subjected to the noxious inference that you have fewer opportunities because of your race. This is a lie – understand the significance of freedom, liberty, and equality. You were blessed to be born in America, and being black should strengthen – not weaken – this belief. Defend the tenets of the Declaration of Independence and stand up to maintain our republic.” God bless America.