It happened again. The clock struck 3 a.m. and I was awakened by a persistent thought. Independence Day was quickly approaching and I'd been mulling over in my hypnagogic mind images of America throughout the past three centuries. One powerful image that wouldn't go away was that of America as a tree of liberty complete with the fruit of freedom hanging from its many branches.
Writers have always looked for an image that could accurately portray our unique democratic republic. They have used many symbols throughout history like Uncle Sam, the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, our founding fathers, the Liberty Bell and the Statue of Liberty, not to mention Old Glory. But the image of a tree of liberty, that is repeatedly battered by the storms and winds of change, THAT is the image that keeps repeating itself in my mind. It is often said, that "America is a work in progress" and that more than a place, or an event, or the men and women who have sacrificed their lives to build and protect it, our country is an idea. No one talked more about that idea in the early days of the 19th century than the French historian Alexis de Tocqueville who wrote his four-volume, "Democracy in America" after living in the United States for nine months from 1831-1832.
I don't know how much our young people and university students know of de Tocqueville, but his writings about our democracy are powerful and timeless. I can imagine him using this tree of liberty metaphor by saying that its roots lie protected in our founding documents and that they continue to provide sustenance through the arterial pathways that feed the fruit of our First Amendment: freedom of speech, assembly and the right to petition our government. Without them, every other fruit on every other branch is doomed to wither and fall to the ground before reaching maturity. Indeed, without that sustenance, the tree's growth would be forever stunted. Instead of a healthy trunk, a single stalk of oligarchy would take its place.
The very soil of our democracy has been fortified by de Tocqueville's five values: liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, populism and laissez-faire. And the mutual liberty that he spoke of replaces the positive and negative liberty that had existed in other forms of 18th century government. America's mutual liberty encompasses all of its citizens. Our new country was not spared his criticism, however. He warned of the despotic tyranny of the majority that if allowed to flourish would be led by materialism and selfish individualism. This threat of tyranny continues to be a gathering storm that could ultimately break the boughs of this tree if we do not protect it. He also criticized American leaders of the time, saying that they were too self-absorbed and thought more of making their fortunes instead of entering public service. "Democracy in America" was a love letter and critique that has stood the test of time. It underscored one principal tenet: that democracy, while vulnerable, is an unstoppable force, despite the threats of tyranny from the majority.
The branches of our tree of liberty are currently being shaken by such storms, arising this time from a growing minority that is questioning the very nutritional value of the fruit of free speech. It seems as if their voices have drowned out those of America's patriots who continue to defend our First Amendment. On this, the eve of our 244th celebration of America's independence, our tree is under siege not only from the storms of change but by a swarm of locusts that view all our fruit as irretrievably tainted and should be destroyed. They claim it is tainted by systemic racism, an overarching White supremacist ideology and a willful ignorance of the minority's rights. If left to these forces, they would pull up this tree by its roots and replace it with a totally different variety. The efforts to revise our history and to inculcate the minds of our young people with radical critical race theory and other indoctrination themes are akin to spraying our fruit with a toxic pesticide that will cause it to shrivel and die, decaying on the ground.
There is rotting fruit in every tree along with buds that fail to flower, but that does not mean that we should ignore those that do mature.
The task of pruning its branches to secure the tree's survival lies with each successive generation. That is their duty. Our duty is to convince them of the need and reasons for doing the work necessary to preserve its strength so that it can endure and bear fruit for future generations. Whatever metaphor you choose to use for Independence Day, please remember that most powerful quotation of Ronald Reagan which was, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
Spend your Independence Day celebrating our liberty with your family and friends and please also remember that the tree of liberty affords us all the very oxygen we need to survive and thrive in this, the most blessed of all countries. Happy Independence Day.
Stephan Helgesen is a former U.S. diplomat and author of four books on American politics. His own views on life are located at "the intersection of Charles Krauthammer and Art Buchwald." He can be reached at: stephan@stephanhelgesen.com
