As we celebrate our 250th anniversary as a nation, it is worth reflecting on what got us here and has kept us going, living as we do under the longest-lasting constitution in world history.

From the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution, our country’s Framers set about establishing this most successful of political governing structures because they understood a few truths. Given low polling about American pride these days, they are truths about which we may need to ask: are they still self-evident?

We began this experiment declaring a recognition of something higher than man— “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” and a Creator—endowing us with a right to self-government and a recognition that we human beings are all equal, especially in our inequality before God.  Rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are not given or tolerated by government or man, but God.

Our founding authors all understood and enshrined this for us. But, too many here have forgotten or unlearned this.  Sadly, just now, we need a great re-learning.