The end of the trail?

America has been a grand experiment. The very essence of its ideas were light years ahead of its time when the founders first thought them, publicly stated them and wrote them down on parchment nearly two and a half centuries ago. Democratic self-governance of a nation and nearly all that went along with it was the ultimate product of its time, that being the Age of Enlightenment. Despite all the social dissonance and moral incongruencies of their day, the multiple authors of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Federalist Papers and ultimately the U.S. Constitution pressed forward with making into reality their assertion that “human beings are born with unalienable rights.” To say it was a far distance separating this lofty all-inclusive idea from those who were excluded from such “rights” is quite an understatement. In fact, “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” was in reality more on the order of privilege, especially given that some of the authors owned other human beings as property. Even while tolerating the nation’s original sin, America led the way in founding and perpetuating a constitutional republic. To date not even a brutal civil war nor outside attack by foreign belligerents or something as utterly stupid as Watergate has been able to destroy it. Sadly though, two hundred and forty-six years after its birth in a bloody revolution, it appears to have evolved as much as it is going to. The visual that President Reagan so skillfully co-opted of America as “The shining city on the hill,” the place that welcomed the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to be free has begun a disappointing march backward.

America has had a very good run. The fruit of the creed of E Pluribus Unum has produced many great successes and advances for humankind. The intellectual latitude which created an environment conducive to advancing useful ideas was the trademark of what became widely known as Yankee Ingenuity. Progress over two and a half centuries may have been excruciatingly slow, but places we have been in that time indicate the distance we’ve gone as a nation. Despite all differences and inequities, doing great things and accomplishing great works became a fixture in the American DNA. Whether it was digging a fifty-mile canal to link two oceans or curing and eradicating fatal and debilitating diseases or becoming the great Arsenal for Democracy leading the way for victory over fascism in a world war, America elevated so many different people with differences intact. The coup d’ grace of all its achievements though was putting members of the human species on another celestial body and returning them to Earth safely not once, not twice but enough times that it almost began to seem routine. These works were all borne of the efforts of imperfect people who made many mistakes in the course of their achievement. In spite of the greatness of all such works, the barriers prohibiting access to the mainstream of society and full inclusion to the American Dream were very slow at being lowered.

The expanding of civil liberties to include segments of the population which were excluded at its founding have played a significant role in America’s growth over time. Despite the ugly flaws of the society of the governed the U.S. Constitution was crafted to serve, the imperfect authors and ratifiers of it pressed on with making the lofty ideals of its embodiment a shining example to the World of how an independent people should live. The eternal beauty of the commitment so neatly hand-written in 18th Century calligraphy to values like “All men are created equal” is what places the United States on a pedestal above all other nations: a shining beacon to the World as its strongest bastion of support of democratic values and self-governance. That is America’s most precious ethereal tacit promise, the worst character flaws of the frail human authors and those who have continued with the same framework all these years notwithstanding.

From the beginning, the conflict between ideas of progressivism and inclusion have always been at odds with those of authoritarianism and privilege. At the beginning of this year, American citizens in theory had more rights than they’ve ever had at any time previously. All said rights may not have always been recognized or upheld but, at least on paper, the American system was widely viewed and respected as the world’s oldest independent republic and among those friendliest to democratic principles because of them. Sadly, in the runup to the 246th celebration of its founding, American progress appears to have reached an end point. On June 24th, the Supreme Court of the United States voted to reverse its ruling on Roe v Wade, the 1973 decision which granted female citizens ultimate freedom over their reproductive health. This was an action taken despite the overall popularity of the Roe decision. A supreme judicial vote of 5 to 4 effectively marked the beginning of the end of liberty in America. The decision to carry a pregnancy to term or to terminate it in its early stages is no longer a personal decision a woman has a right to make. Given that this effects over fifty percent of citizens of childbearing age who suddenly find themselves without the freedom to opt out of becoming a parent regardless of circumstance of impregnation, America has begun a long march backward. The big question on many minds is which right will be next up for judicial abolition? If Roe was only the beginning, where will it end? The authoritarian extremes of the minority party in the Congress are emboldened by the high court’s action on Roe and are all too ready to welcome the rollback of more rights. So many are worried and full of angst that America as we knew it is over. Many soberly confront the idea with great trepidation that we have heard the last ring of freedom in our lifetime with unless swift and prompt reaction is undertaken in response to this judicial fiat of reproductive rights. It is indeed a clear and clarion call to all who have come to appreciate the progressive actions by prior conservative courts to involve themselves in defending the country we have inherited.

Half a century ago authoritarian manipulation by a rogue chief executive failed and was thoroughly exposed by the Watergate scandal. The same phenomenon by another outlaw also failed more recently as the January 6th hearings are revealing when an authoritarian chief executive refused to accept the overwhelming evidence that his 2020 reelection bid was LOST and not STOLEN. Our system of justice, free elections and peaceful transfer of power held firm in 1974 and 2021, but that is not to say the safety of it could be in jeopardy in future similar situations if safeguards are not implemented. The wheels of the January 6th investigation have turned slow but true and the hopeful outcome will be stiff consequences for those or the one ultimately culpable. The responsibility to defend liberty falls to those elected officials in Congress whose job it is to codify Roe v Wade and other such freedoms. Until this is done, the nation will be forced into a backward march by a tyrannical minority. Is this truly the end of the trail for America in terms of individual liberties? Is this as far as we go? Hopefully not, but this will require a monumental pushback by a largely silent majority of reasonable voters. Hanging in the balance in this year’s midterm election is all the intangibles that make America what it has always been: the land of freedom, justice and due process not to mention all benefits the benefits the blessings of liberty have bestowed. Unless those quiet numbers assert themselves, the America I have always loved and served will be at an end and become a place scarcely recognizable. Regardless of the outcome though, America has had a great and majestic run as a nation. It will take all lovers of personal liberty pulling together to let our voices be known on Election Day to keep it going. Hopefully it may not prove to be as heavy of a lift as it seems.

George Carlin on Rights: You have no rights!