A Harvard study recently concluded that attending American Independence Day celebrations could turn kids into Republicans.
The reason 4th of July creates Republicans has nothing to do with patriotism and everything to do with education. Here’s why:
* On July 4th, we celebrate the Declaration of Independence, not the founding of the United States. (That would come with the passage of the Constitution thirteen years later).** July 4th events teach kids—in an environment free from teacher-union propaganda—the _reasons_ we broke from England.** July 4th celebrates philosophical and moral principles that establish an empowering, liberating chain of thoughts:
** All political power resides with individual people;** People may voluntarily join with other people to make governments;** Governments have no authority except what the people, the governed, permit;** No person has the right to coerce another person to act** No government may exist with the consent of the governed;** People have the unalienable right to dismantle any government they choose.
Imagine, now, that you’re a fourteen year old. Your mother just made you change clothes from something you wanted to wear to something she wants you to wear. Worse, your parents are making you go to a stupid 4th of July parade when all of your friends are going swimming.
At this hot, sticky, stupid parade, a father a few feet away explains the Declaration of Independence float to a boy perched on the man’s shoulders.
“England believed that God gave us kings or queens who ruled over everyone else. Americans believe that God created people equally and that all of us rule only over ourselves. The Declaration of Independence explained to the king of England and to the American people that we would no longer tolerate being ruled by a dictator. We’re each going to make our own decisions about how to live.”
Take a moment this weekend to thank Harvard. They have demonstrated that conversations about liberty, freedom, individual responsibility, and equality inspire people to vote a particular way.
And those who live in ignorance of liberty, freedom, individual responsibility, and equality vote Democrat.