Posted today by former President Bill Clinton:
Two hundred and fifty years ago in Philadelphia, our Founders embarked on a radical experiment and declared a new nation rooted in the ideal of equality, with an elected government charged to advance life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Since then, our government of, by, and for the people has become the longest-lasting continuous democracy in the history of the world.
Our road from 1776 to today has been, in Abraham Lincoln’s words, “piled high with difficulty.” At every turn, there have been forces of reaction seeking to claw back the extension of our rights and liberties to more people.
But by and large, thanks to celebrated leaders and everyday Americans alike, we have stumbled in the right direction—widening the circle of opportunity, deepening the meaning of freedom, and strengthening the bonds of our community.
Today, we celebrate this milestone amid another period of deep division, renewed questions about America’s future and role in the world, and serious threats to our own institutions and to our democracy itself.
The people in charge have unleashed masked agents on American communities to seize people from their homes, workplaces, and the street. They have started an unconstitutional war on a whim, with no clear objectives or exit strategy, and zero regard for the consequences to the lives of millions of people around the world.
With the help of lifetime appointees to the Supreme Court and a compliant Congress, they have weaponized government to settle personal scores, prosecute enemies, stamp out free speech, and made the federal government a new profit center for themselves and their allies.
Their New Deal is socialism for the super-rich (and their own enrichment) even if it means increasing poverty, inequality, and illness at home and around the world.
They also want to rewrite history to ignore and outright deny our past flaws while banning books that say otherwise from our libraries. And they select even our military leaders based on their version of political correctness over ability.
But this isn’t the first time we’ve come close to the edge. Throughout our history, we’ve fought about what it means to make our union more perfect and who belongs.
So far, at every major turning point, we have chosen inclusion over division: in the early days of the Republic, by building a national economic and legal system; during the Civil War, by preserving the Union and ending slavery; in the early 20th century, as we moved from an agricultural to an industrial society, by making our government stronger to preserve competition, promote basic safeguards for labor, and provide for the poor, the elderly, and the infirm; in the 60s and 70s, by advancing civil rights and women’s rights and protecting our natural resources from plunder; and at the dawn of the new millennium, by moving into the global information age in a way that distributed the benefits of our interdependence to more people.
Our Founders were wise when they gave us our mission to form a more perfect union. They knew America would never be perfect but could always be better. That’s what they meant by “more perfect.” We’ve done that by being courageous enough to acknowledge our flaws and missteps—and then bold enough to leave them behind for brighter tomorrows.
That’s the lesson of our first 250 years: we can always do better. In how we treat one another, in person and online; in building a better future for ourselves, our families, and our communities; and in standing up, showing up, and speaking out for our democracy.
There is still nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what’s right with America. We see it in the people lining up to vote, no matter how hard some may try to prevent them. We see it in those bringing groceries to their neighbors, donating to charities in record numbers, and serving their country and communities in countless ways. And we see it in the immigrants eager to bring their talents, hard work, and dreams to our country.
So today, celebrate the miracle that has brought us this far. I know I will, because I love my country so much. Then tomorrow, wake up, and ask yourself what part you will play to keep making our union more perfect by keeping our country in the future business. We owe that much to those who struggled and sacrificed to bring us this far, and to our children and grandchildren who soon will inherit that future.
