Idealism: The Soul of America

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By Paul Lehto (about the author) Page 2 of 3 page(s)

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Concerning the rights of man or humanity, the Founders could think of their purpose in no other way. President John Adams asked incredulously: "If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of mankind, whom should we serve?"

Absolutism, whether it is absolutism of power or absolutism of claims to truth, is defeated entirely by the uniquely American concept of inalienable individual rights, set forth in our Declaration of Independence. Through these inalienable rights, the individual becomes a center of power, not just the government. The government exists to guarantee rights, not to simply grant them.

America was not a selfish project, it was an intervention in world history designed not only for freedom, but to rid the New World of European class system and aristocracy and the dangers of absolutism in all of its forms.

The prohibitions in the Bill of Rights against the government taking sides via censorship, in favor of the freedom of the press, and the prohibition against government endorsements of ultimate religious truth via the separation of church and state, all were profoundly influenced by this non-absolutist perspective gained from the fight against absolute monarchical power: no one has a lock or a monopoly on truth; it is always better to keep the marketplace of ideas wide open, together with the various doors of religious worship.

The linkages of rights and American values form a circle that reinforces over time and pushes America forward with continually reinforced idealism, as follows:

1. First, governments are founded, wrote Thomas Jefferson, for the purpose of protecting (not granting) Individual Rights.

2. Protecting Individual Rights unleashes the energies and potentials of every Citizen, maximizing them.

3. The resulting supremacy of Individual Human Rights, as FDR observed, is the very definition of Freedom.

4. From the unleashed energies of Freedom of the citizens springs an inherent Idealism

5. Out of Idealism springs both a Future focus and the proverbial American Optimism

6. Out of a Future focus and American Optimism springs the inevitability of Change, usually for the better, which is Progress

7. With Progress, we are asked in each generation to enlarge the sphere of Individual Rights beyond that enjoyed by prior generations, to make our children better off than we were. (repeat from Step 1, above).

Based on this cycle of idealism and rights, I submit that the true celebration and the future of this country is going to be wherever folks are arguing for DEMOCRACY and for FREEDOM and for a meaningful active conception of "WE THE PEOPLE." We should not (1) Dismiss the idealism of America, nor should we (2) Doubt the idealism of America, either.

Although our ideals may never be realized fully, they are nevertheless always acting as our guide-stars. Indeed, without ideals to reckon by, both individuals and nations get lost.

If any President of the United States wants to accomplish something in our country, for better or for worse, he will invoke this power of American idealism, as George W. Bush did once again in his Second Inaugural Address:

"Americans, of all people, should never be surprised by the power of our ideals. Eventually, the call of freedom comes to every mind and every soul."

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Paul Lehto practiced law in Washington State for 12 years in business law and consumer fraud, including most recently several years in election law, and is now a clean elections advocate. His forthcoming book is tentatively titled DEFENDING (more...)

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