The Good Side of History
By David Wilder – November 23, 2024
There is a saying; ‘The ones you love can do no wrong, and the ones you hate can do no right’. It speaks to our propensity to overlook the shortcomings of people we care about, and just see the good in them. For a moment, I’m going to take this perspective to point out some historical times where we have exemplified the American world view.
To start with the dramatic – the civil war. A lot has been written on this topic, and I’m sure we each have our perspectives on this terrible time. I’ve had discussions, well, arguments really, with those that feel this is the time where we learned state’s rights have to be subordinated to federal rights. That argument can be made, but I believe it misses the more important point.
States rights are derived from the communities in each state. They are to protect the way of life that the state’s citizens desire. The civil war reaches beyond the state level and went to the more fundamental right of the individual. Once you approach the civil war on the level of individual rights, the evil of slavery comes to the forefront.
“Civil war was to be; and, now that it has come and gone, we can rest secure in the knowledge that the chief cause, slavery, has been eradicated forever, it is not likely to come again.” -Gen. William T. Sherman
Forgotten in our history classes is the fact the US Congress outlawed slave trade in 1807, decades before the war. To create a more perfect union and believing the self-evident truth that all are created equal, our country paid a high price to start to correct the error of slavery. It was inevitable. The losers were those that believed their ‘country’ (i.e. State) was more important than securing individual rights. The losers were those that profited from forceful subjugation of equals. The winners? The individual’s whose rights were secured.
Securing individual rights has unleased the energy and creativity of our nation. Learning from the Pilgrim’s failed ‘communal’ experience, Article 1, section 8 of the constitution establishes a patent office to protect intellectual property. Advances in science and medicine, technology, the arts and general prosperity and standard of living has been the result. This level of broad prosperity and advancement is unparalleled in history. It has fueled a population that is the most giving to those in need, both domestically and overseas. This is where people want to come.
By and large, this population that sees individual rights as a gift from our creator and not a benefit from a central power has been called upon when tyrannical powers desire to expand. The two world wars are examples. The reputation earned in those conflicts were of uncommonly generous and empathetic soldiers. Also, of tenacious, adaptable fighters willing to act independently.
America is at its best when this unique worldview is demonstrated. Our hatred of anything that sounds of oppression is one aspect of our reverence for individual rights. We love the underdog. We fight for the ‘little guy’.
I am reminded of an interview of Captain Levi Preston in 1842. He fought at Lexington and Concord, and was asked why he fought? Was it the tea or stamp tax? “No”. Were you inspired by the writing of Trenchard and Locke? “Never heard of ‘em”. Then why did you decide to fight? “Young man, what we meant in going for those red coats was this: we had always governed ourselves and we always meant to. They didn’t mean we should.”
Our American perspective: first and foremost are the rights of the individual. We focus on self- governing, and elect state representatives to protect our way of life. The states created the federal government to ensure the security and fair treatment between states and between us and other nations.