As we witnessed parades, parties, fireworks and all the other trappings of a great holiday, it was impossible to not let our eyes wander to the abundance of flags and décor, which represent the enduring freedom of the United States.
But, in our perusal of various festivities, we came upon one short essay written by an obviously proud American. While we are sure that what we saw was simply a spelling error, we wondered if it was not also a true Freudian slip. The writer referred to the United States as the “Untied States.”
We can certainly understand the mistake, especially if the author had, like us, recently reviewed the poll averages published by Real Clear Politics. RCP routinely analyzes the most popular polls and averages the responses. The most recent poll results show that a shocking 71.2 percent of Americans disapprove of the way the U.S. Congress is doing their job. Another category shows that 61.8 percent of those polled think the United States in on the wrong track.
Frankly, we think the congressional approval poll could well translate into more than 70 percent of the incumbents in Congress losing their bid for re-election. And frankly, we would not be much disappointed if we are correct.
Following the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, it took this nation almost 14 years to actually establish a government. George Washington became the first president in April of 1789. Starting with a proclamation ratifying a treaty with the Creek Nation, Washington began signing all proclamations with a statement as to the length of time the United States had been independent: Given under my hand and seal of the United States, in the city of New York, the 14th day of August, A.D. 1790, and in the fifteenth year of the Sovereignty and Independence of the United States…
The tradition has not changed much. One of the last proclamations signed by President Obama ended similarly: In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty- fourth.
How simple that statement is, and how obscure it can be in the world of protocol, yet how important it is that we grasp the concept of the goals and achievements the statement really represents.
For 234 years we have endured wars, epidemics, famines, droughts and disasters. For the most part, we have repelled invasions, overcome financial collapses and rebuilt entire cities. We have resisted tyranny, defeated communism and helped free other nations.
Do we really stand now as a nation ready to become “untied?” We think not. We think the voters and grass roots patriots who have the blood of their forefathers coursing through their veins will stand up and make sure that proclamations of the future continue to be signed with the recognition of the many years we have lived as a free people who can elect representatives to do their bidding on a national level and get rid of those who will not.
