George W. Bush was a member of the coalition of the unwilling when it came to going into war himself, but the leader of the coalition of those willing to send other people into a needless war. Then he said to any possible enemies, come on and try to kill those other people -- those other Americans -- that he had sent into that needless war.
The anniversary of a day of shame in our nation's history precedes the anniversary of our nation's day of birth.
On the Fourth of July this year, let us repudiate the idea of America that George W. Bush enunciated in 2003 and revive the idea of America that Thomas Jefferson enunciated in 1776.
More important, let us do the same on the Fourth of November this year.
Historian Robert S. McElvaine is Elizabeth Chisholm Professor of Arts & Letters at Millsaps College. His latest book is Grand Theft Jesus: The Hijacking of Religion in America
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