What would our founding fathers say in this moment?
America seems to be in an uproar at the moment.
We talk about preserving our Constitutional rights, while extremist groups take advantage of these Constitutional rights. We take risks to speak truth with a serious fear of reprisal if it's not the truth that our employers, associates, and peers subscribe to. Violence and looting is committed in the name of "justice" - or is it revenge? The country seems upside down. Truth and logic seem to be suspended in exchange for captivating social movements based solely on emotion and feelings.
John Adams - the second president of the United States - actually predicted this chaos and violence that we are experiencing in America today. And he provided an explanation of the root of the problem, which could be our last hope for restoring America to its full strength.
In 1798, John Adams wrote to the Massachusetts Militia:
"While our Country remains untainted with the Principles and manners, which are now producing desolation in so many Parts of the World: while she continues Sincere and incapable of insidious and impious Policy: We shall have the Strongest Reason to rejoice in the local destination assigned Us by Providence.
But should the People of America . . . become capable of that deep . . . simulation towards one another and towards foreign nations, which assumes the Language of Justice and moderation while it is practicing Iniquity and Extravagance; and displays in the most captivating manner the charming Pictures of Candour frankness & sincerity while it is rioting in rapine and Insolence:
This Country will be the most miserable Habitation in the World.
Because We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by . . . morality and Religion. Avarice, Ambition . . . Revenge or Galantry, would break the strongest Cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
We are living in an era where extremists in America "assume the language of justice and moderation while . . . practicing iniquity and extravagence" and "display in the most captivating manner the charming pictures of candour frankness & sincerity while rioting in rapine and insolence".
This "justice" narrative is happening. This seizure of property (rapine) and rioting is happening - in real time, right now. This country is becoming the miserable habitation that Adams predicted.
But all hope is not lost. It is not too late.
What would John Adams recommend as a solution to get us off of this path toward becoming the most miserable habitation in the world?
We need to return to morality and to God, and we need to rediscover the forces that kept our unbridled passions and emotions in check and enabled us to think with logic and reason.
Let us honor those who fought and died for our freedoms, who risked everything for the American Experiment. Let us return to the morality for which our Constitution was made.
What do you think? Was John Adams right - and what can we do about it?
Comment below.
Comments