RealClear Politics: “Independence Day Teaches Us That People Matter”
By Hans Zeiger
JMC’s chairman of the board president Hans Zeiger appears in RealClear Politics, writing on Independence Day and the Declaration of Independence:
The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important statements on human liberty ever written. Not only did it launch the American Revolution, but it also inspired freedom fighters all around the world. From Frederick Douglass and the struggle against chattel slavery to Winston Churchill and the battle against totalitarianism, the ideas of the Declaration have been a rallying point for humanity’s champions.
But how would you summarize the document in as few words as possible? It’s a question worth pondering as we celebrate the Fourth of July.
Here is how I would summarize the Declaration in just two words: People matter.
People have inherent dignity – we are created equal, “endowed” with “unalienable” rights that belong to us as human beings. People are made to live freely and pursue a good life, what the writers of the Declaration called “happiness.” People are entitled to participate in the ordering of the political community through their own consent. People are designed to govern themselves, not to be ruled over by outside forces in which they have no say. And people are worth sacrificing for – worth the mutual pledge of “our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important statements on human liberty ever written. Not only did it launch the American Revolution, but it also inspired freedom fighters all around the world. From Frederick Douglass and the struggle against chattel slavery to Winston Churchill and the battle against totalitarianism, the ideas of the Declaration have been a rallying point for humanity’s champions.
But how would you summarize the document in as few words as possible? It’s a question worth pondering as we celebrate the Fourth of July.
Here is how I would summarize the Declaration in just two words: People matter.
People have inherent dignity – we are created equal, “endowed” with “unalienable” rights that belong to us as human beings. People are made to live freely and pursue a good life, what the writers of the Declaration called “happiness.” People are entitled to participate in the ordering of the political community through their own consent. People are designed to govern themselves, not to be ruled over by outside forces in which they have no say. And people are worth sacrificing for – worth the mutual pledge of “our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
As we celebrate American independence this year, we can look forward to the big 250th “Semiquincentennial” celebration in 2026, just three short years from now. America 250 will be an opportunity for all of us to renew our commitments to our fellow Americans. How can we best elevate the Declaration of Independence in our own day? How can we celebrate the value and dignity of the people in our respective corners of America? How can we stand up for dignity, freedom, and opportunity? What will we “mutually pledge” to one another in our own critical hour?
I have no doubt that the most important thing we can do to achieve all this is to teach the rising generation the principles of freedom articulated in the Declaration. Unfortunately, though, our country is doing a poor job of this.
American civics education is in a state of disarray. Recent news of abysmal test scores proves that our students are falling behind. A civics education deficit is emerging. If we allow the decline to continue unabated, America is in danger of forgetting the Declaration’s truth that people matter. If our children are never taught the basic principles of our Constitution, then they will never participate fully in a government of citizens.
My organization, the Jack Miller Center, is fighting to reverse the decline. We are providing K-12 teachers with vital training so they can educate their students with actual primary sources instead of biased textbooks. We are supporting cutting-edge scholarship on the American political tradition at elite colleges and universities across the country. And we are advocating for a renewed emphasis on civics in classrooms everywhere.
On the Fourth of July, many families celebrate our independence by getting together at a barbecue and reading the Declaration aloud together. This tradition is a beautiful representation of what we need civics education to be. At the end of the day, the folks on the front lines of civic renewal are parents. After all, the Declaration teaches us that people matter. The republic is made a little bit more alive every time moms and dads have conversations with their kids about our country’s incredible history.
Read the article at RealClear Politics >>
Hans Zeiger is the President of the Jack Miller Center, a nationwide network of scholars and teachers who are committed to advancing the core texts and ideas of the American political tradition. In preparation for the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026, Hans is leading an ambitious campaign to expand the pipeline of scholars who are dedicated to the teaching of America’s founding principles and history, to seed and cultivate university campus centers for the study of the American political tradition, and to expand the teaching of core civic knowledge in America’s K-12 schools.
Hans previously served in state and local government in Washington State, including service as chair of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee and ranking member on the House Higher Education Committee. He gained a reputation as a bipartisan collaborator, being named by the National Institute for Civil Discourse as co-recipient of the Gabrielle Giffords Award for Civility in State Governance in 2015.
Hans led the Chapman Center for Citizen Leadership at the Seattle-based Discovery Institute from 2012 to 2020. He was an adjunct professor of political science at Seattle Pacific University, a Leadership Fellow of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, and a Rodel Fellow of the Aspen Institute. Hans was also a trustee of the Washington State Historical Society.
Hans’s writings on public policy, history, and civil society have appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, National Review Online, and Seattle Times, among others.
Hans holds a bachelor’s degree from Hillsdale College and a master’s in public policy from Pepperdine University. He also studied American politics at Claremont Graduate University. He previously served as a public affairs officer in the Air National Guard. Hans and his wife Erin have two daughters.
Learn more about Hans Zeiger >>
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