By Michael Warren
With each passing day, we seem to learn more about what divides us. Politics has devolved to such an extent that vitriol and name-calling has become ho-hum. Our culture is flooded with negative images, trying to tear down the spirit of mankind. Entertainment for the most part is crass and devoid of underlying meaning. The meanderings and stupidity of celebrities and sports stars dominate the media. Meanwhile, our students do not understand the basics of the Constitution, and the generational struggle for liberty is ignored or denigrated. The allure of shiny utopian societies are felt, without an understanding of the damning history of mass murder that inevitably accompanied those utopian dreams. Simply put, we are a mess. We must do better if we plan to survive as a free society.
But all is not lost. We clearly have the ability to aim higher, to understand the deeper meaning of life, and to embrace the true spirit of America. We can begin by remembering what unites Americans. One way to do this is Patriot Week, which was started 10 years ago when my then 10-year-old daughter Leah pounded on a restaurant table and demanded a new celebration for America.
The week begins on the anniversary of one of America's worse days - September 11. On that day, nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives when terrorists wedded to a perversion of Islam attacked us. The world forever changed. Patriot Week honors with deep reverence those innocents and heroes lost to the ages on this day by renewing the American spirit. The way to defeat the terrorists is not just with bombs and bullets, it is with the heart. First we need to put our house in order by embracing the spirit of America, and then we can help enlighten others. By reminding us of who we are as a people, Patriot Week helps defend our liberties and freedom.
The other anchor date of Patriot Week is September 17, the anniversary of the signing of our Constitution (i.e., Constitution Day). That the Constitution is important is generally acknowledged, but "why" is not. Here are a few of the many reasons the Constitution was and is revolutionary: it was the first written constitution; it was drafted and ratified by representatives of the people; it limited the power and scope of the federal government to enumerated powers; it makes the people sovereign and embodies our Social Compact; it guarantees specific unalienable rights; and it can amended by the people. The Constitution is the cornerstone of our liberties and unites us. However, in the end, the Constitution is nothing but a scrap of paper if the people and the government do not understand and abide by it. If that happens, the terrorists will win regardless of what happens on the battlefield.
Each day of Patriot Week we celebrate one of our founding First Principles from our Declaration of Independence, a Founding Father or great Patriot who made those principles come alive in America, foundational documents embodying those principles, and historical flags that represent those principles. Those First Principles include unalienable rights, limited government, the Social Compact, the rule of law, and right to alter or abolish an oppressive government. Because we have struggled so hard with equality, we dedicate two days to this First Principle - one for race and the other for gender.
Some of the figures we commemorate include George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, Susan B. Anthony, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!" speech, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and King's "I Have a Dream" speech are some of the documents we employ. The Betsy Ross Flag, the Suffragette Flag, and Gadsden Flag (Dont Tread on Me), and other banners enliven our celebrations.
This is a nonpartisan effort that has been recognized across the nation. Participants engage in a wide range of grassroots activities including panel discussions, speakers, lesson plans, festivals, parades, picnics, commemorations, and others. Patriot Week fights against those forces of history, culture, education and otherwise that want to tear us apart. As a free republic, we citizens are in charge of whether we keep our liberties. Help renew the spirit of America and join us, before it is too late.
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Michael Warren is an Oakland County Michigan Circuit Court judge, former member of the State Board of Education, Constitutional Law visiting professor at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, co-founder of Patriot Week, (www.PatriotWekk.org) and author of "America's Survival Guide."
Published: Fri, Sep 13, 2019
