Knowing this, in remembering the brave Americans who declared independence from the British, we have to see not only the beginning of a country, but also of a family. They were known as the Founding Fathers for a reason.
Whether our family sailed on the Mayflower or arrived in the new millennium, we have all become part of the American family. One of the most fascinating and touching descriptions of this concept comes from a 1780 letter from John Adams to his wife Abigail.
It shows the personal sacrifice that our early founders made, thinking exclusively about their children and future citizens - in other words, us. In this quote, the future second US President describes the cause of his single-minded absorption in government:
"I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain." 5/12/1780
Given freedom, we often make important decisions strictly considering our own benefit. We balk at even the idea of altering our lives to suit our parents' fancies. Distant concepts like children and future spouses have little bearing on our day’s actions.
Liberty does mean the ability to choose, but to choose responsibly. Although we were born with freedom of choice, it is not an invention of our own design. Because liberty comes from our predecessors, it is an inheritance, not an object we can selfishly exploit. The right of choice is married with a responsibility to pass it along.
Thus, each of us is but a caretaker of our sacred freedoms. We cannot make decisions as if we are the only actor in mind; we must sacrifice for the future as a way to pay our respects to the past. If our decisions negatively impact our future generation’s ability to live freely, we have done ourselves a great disservice.
Yet, today it has become easy to be an American. While our Founding Fathers risked the noose for proclaiming independence, today we live in a land of convenient patriotism.
For centuries, generations of selfless leaders have made great strides in preserving, protecting and enhancing our liberties. Still, we often choose to cash in on those sacrifices with selfish actions instead of contributing to the forward momentum. This is true both politically within our government and socially within our family structure.
Although certainly many Americans still retain this ideal of selfless, I interestingly find the John Adams ethos present most strongly in immigrant families. Like our Founding Fathers, the first generations to move to the US often take jobs of necessity - thinking solely about future generations. It is the second and third generations that begin to explore arts, accumulate family wealth, and more thoroughly assimilate into the culture.
It is saddening to see how seldom children truly appreciate this great sacrifice; instead often lamenting their parents’ un-coolness or lack of cultural understanding. Yet this very unsavvy is an emblem of their loving sacrifice.
On the subway I saw a gentleman whose broken English was barely distinguishable from his native Spanish tongue. At first, I found the American flag on the cap he wore rather ironic, given that he could hardly even speak the language or read the documents that made this country so great.
Still, for him America was something completely different. America was not a set of freedoms that he had inherited from his parents, like I did. The reason this man, who could barely speak English, wore a flag is precisely because he did not have time for English classes.
He was working honest and hard so that his son might get an education, might be able to read the language, and might one day be able to explain to his father all the reasons America is great, probably the same reasons I believe. Reasons that this man likely has little use for.
It is not the experiencing of freedom that makes America great for him, but the promise of freedom, the start of a forward momentum. Based on the idea that if he puts in his due effort, his children will inherit a better life. A life that, unless Founding Fathers of family and country are known and celebrated, his grandchildren may take completely for granted.
