U.S. enthrones military, ignores Founding Fathers

If John Adams, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton could see us now. . . .

Sadly, if the Founding Fathers could see us now, they would not be happy with what we have done to their visionary concepts. The United States has become the most powerful nation on earth. But our power derives not from the revolutionary ideas Jefferson outlined in the Declaration of Independence; instead, U.S. power depends on the military might James Madison distrusted.

We used our military might to start a war in contradiction to Washington's advice about foreign entanglements. At Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, representatives of our government abuse prisoners in ways Adams would consider morally unacceptable. Madison would object to holding prisoners indefinitely without charges or trial. He would never accept the excuse that they are prisoners of war any more than he would have excused Great Britain for holding American revolutionaries incommunicado.

Jefferson, Madison and Adams would point to provisions of the Patriot Act and shake their heads, wondering why we have chosen to contradict the nation's basic principles. Jefferson would object to invasions of privacy allowed by the act. Madison would call the Patriot Act a "tyranny of the majority." And Adams would complain about so-called "renditions" -- secretly taking captives to lawless nations for torture-based questioning.

Hamilton would worry about the dollar falling in value around the world . . . and about foreign nations buying American companies with money from U.S. trade deficits. He would be furious about the $5 trillion national debt, and he would want to know why we don't have an aggressive debt-reduction program.

Franklin might talk once again about the sun carved on the back of George Washington's chair. This time, he would suggest the sun appears to be a setting sun, not a rising sun. Franklin would also chide us about being scientifically illiterate. He might say: "You use microwave irradiation in your kitchens every day, but you reject irradiation of food to kill dangerous germs." Or: "You pay extra for food labeled organic, but all food is, by definition, organic." Franklin would marvel at our electrical system -- far removed from lightning on a kite string -- but he would chastise us for allowing such a marvelous resource to be poorly maintained and poorly regulated. Of course, Franklin -- always the scientist -- would be upset that the United States did not sign the Kyoto Treaty on global warming.

Appropriately, this week we will pay homage to Adams, Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton and others. But our praise will be more words than deeds.

Thomas Paine called their time "The Age of Reason." They had the courage to be guided by reason and principle, not by expediency and fear. Today's leaders prefer fear over reason. Fear is easier.

But Jefferson and the others would find some relief if they could see young citizens gathered on street corners in cities across the land. The youngsters call for change. They chant: "Enough war. Enough killing. Enough torture. Enough fear. Enough ignorance. It's time for reason and principle."

Their signs say: "Honk if you love peace." They should say: "Honk if you love America."

Those young people honor the memory of Independence Day more than all the words of politicians and verbal patriots at countless Fourth of July picnics and fireworks extravaganzas. Franklin said of such speeches: "Here comes the orator! . . . with his flood of words and his drop of reason."

No doubt, Franklin and his compatriots would prefer fewer words and more reason, more action -- especially from those of us who wish to honor them. John Adams hoped we would remember Independence Day "with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore."

We will follow his plea to celebrate. But we should also take heed of Thomas Jefferson's counsel: "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, . . . it expects what never was and never will be."

Ignorance and fear are comfort zones for old people like me. Thank goodness, many young Americans still find within themselves the vision, the reason and the commitment that characterized the principles and individuals we honor each year on Independence Day.

G. Donald Gale is president of Words, Words, Words, Inc. He was formerly editorial director at KSL. He earned a doctorate at the University of Utah and was awarded an honorary doctorate by Southern Utah University.

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