Beauty was awakened with a kiss. It took a painful slap to rouse the Spirit of 1776.
Despite incredible odds, the American colonies liberated themselves from the world’s most powerful empire. I call their courageous, unwavering commitment to freedom the Spirit of 1776.
The newly freed Americans then built a structure, the United States Constitution, that had one overarching purpose: to protect personal liberty from a return of government tyranny. Unfortunately, believing it was no longer needed, the Spirit of 1776 drifted off to sleep.
Today’s radical left, generally in control of the Democratic Party, are wanna-be autocrats. They believe they know what’s best for you better than you do. They believe that personal responsibility is outmoded and that the government should provide free food, housing, education, medical care, jobs, and equitable income. They believe people should simply give up freedom and obey the elites.
Americans’ slap-in-the-face wake-up call came in early 2021. This awakened the somnolent Spirit of 1776.
With woke radicals in control of both legislative and executive branches, as of Jan. 2021, Democrats began to impose their extreme agenda: open borders, racist critical race theory curricula in schools and the military, an undermining of the First Amendment, suppression of domestic energy production, and massive deficit spending. With a flurry of executive orders on taking office, President Joe Biden began undoing anything that had former President Donald Trump’s name on it.
Within one year of crazy economic policies, inflation had reached a 40-year high. Meanwhile, millions of people were denied paychecks because COVID-19 lockdowns had closed more than 200,000 businesses. Washington told us to wear masks, keep our distance (no hugging or even a handshake), avoid going to pray, and take an injection. They had few compunctions about using the coercive power of the state to enforce their will. The consequence of choosing not to obey was to be shunned as socially irresponsible and lose your job. By coercing information outlets, social justice warriors censored, banned, and canceled people who opposed their policies.
The public began to wake up and pay attention. They didn’t like what they saw. Depending on the precise question asked, polls show 56% to 72% of people disapprove of President Joe Biden’s extremism. New media outlets have flourished, and new voices have risen against the establishment media.
The signs are everywhere — the Spirit of 1776 is now wide awake.
Families are rejecting the new “woke” Disney. Parents are refusing to mask their children despite mandates. Angry parents are ousting local school board members who teach small children that whites are oppressors and 6-year-olds should become transgender. People of all ethnic backgrounds are equally enraged with woke ideology in school curricula.
Patriots of all ethnic backgrounds are proudly proclaiming, “We Are Free.” In Nov. 2022, the wanna-be leftist autocrats will realize the graveness of their error.
Deane Waldman, M.D., MBA is Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, Pathology, and Decision Science.
