September 10, 2012 by David K. Sutton
The Founding of the United States of America and the Innocence of Youth
I sometimes reflect on the many things I took for granted as a child. — Things that I thought were a common bond among all Americans. — All the history in textbooks and taught in social studies class. — Things I thought we all agreed on, like how this country came into existence. — Man, I was naive.
I see conservatives, more specifically Tea Party and Christian fundamentalists trying to redefine the history of this country, trying to tell us this country was founded as a Christian nation on conservative values. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
These fundamentalists always point to the Declaration of Independence as their proof of the founding principles of this country. It is true that God is mentioned in the Declaration, but I want to remind everyone that even though this great document plays an important role in our history, it is not the framework of our democracy. That framework is the constitution, and nowhere in the constitution will you see the word God.
These fundamentalists say the values of conservatism are at the root of this country. This is a complete whitewashing of history. The very idea of founding a democracy governed by the people was nothing short of a radical liberal idea for its time. The conservative idea of that time would have maintained status quo; British rule.
This is what drives me every single day and it’s what makes The Left Call possible. It’s why this blog exists. I sometimes feel like I’m witnessing a re-enactment of Orwell’s 1984 when I hear conservative figures explain American history. — “We are at war with Eastasia. We’ve always been at war with Eastasia.” / photo by Paul Mayne
