GETTING AMERICA BACK ON MISSION

Recommitting to the Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is America’s vision statement, our moral rudder and our philosophical North Star. Every public policy should align with its principles. The purpose of politics is to keep those principles alive.

Whether we’re an individual or a nation - which is, after all, only a collection of individuals - living by our principles, and aligning with their truths, generates the power to attract ever greater good and repel chaos. In all our lives, in the life of an organization, and in the life of a nation, we have to regularly revisit our “First Principles” in order to maintain our vigor. Alignment with our principles is to our life force what the spine is to the body.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.”

Wow. Radical in 1776, and radical today.

The Declaration imbued us with principles of liberty and quality and justice for all. At times we have lived up to those principles and at other times we have fallen tragically short, even transgressed against them. But always, ultimately, generations arose who course-corrected when we swayed, realigned us with our truth when we were profoundly off track, and put us back on mission. From the Abolitionists to Women Suffragists to early Labor Organizers to Civil Rights workers, people successfully pushed back against those who transgressed against our founding principles.

It’s our turn now.

The American government, at its best, is keeper of that story. Committed to our most enlightened principles. Course-correcting when necessary and always writing new chapters.

If elected DNC Chair, I will make sure the Democratic Party does its part to maintain the story. Check out my website and join the cause.

Thanks!