Thank you. In writing the book, my intent was not to sell a bunch of copies, but to open up a dialogue about this country. I hope that the narrative doesn’t obscure what I believe to be the essential point of the book—the critical importance of America’s history. If you’ve been paying attention to the campaign circus, maybe you will appreciate my argument.
Yes, life must be lived forward, but as Kierkegaard said, “it can only be understood backward.” These are contentious political times, and our inability or unwillingness to sit down and find middle ground is proof that we’re disconnected from the principles we profess to love.
The Founders spoke in present tense. They knew their own shortcomings, but they embraced a notion of the expansive nature of liberty and equality. If we don’t learn the beginnings, how can we hope to grasp a perception of expanding freedom and justice? Unfortunately, we often take shortcuts and speak of wisdom severed from its original context. In our haste, we love to raid the coffers—to pick and choose the words of the Founders to suit our designs. The danger is that we gradually cut ourselves off from the founding principles, and the truth loses its real meaning.
America may be more than the collective wisdom of the Founders, but that is to say that the house is more than the foundation. Sure, it’s more, but it isn’t less. It sure as hell isn’t less.
Hell, the seeds of the Revolution were sown in a Boston tavern! many people who will go to great lengths to steer clear of any political conversations. What are the two possible results of having a political debate? It will either bolster your views; or heaven help us, it may influence you to change your opinions. But it should not be risky to relationships to discuss, debate, and argue politics. The very essence of democracy requires the free exchange of ideas—not merely between our leaders, but also among citizens.