Commentary: What are American values?

There are fundamental differences between liberals and conservatives—and certainly MAGA adherents—on what are “American values.”

But for both liberal and conservative pundits, the term connotes something larger than us, grounding, permanent—of lasting meaning. Because the values of people change as the times change, as the culture changes, and as the political temperament changes. The results of current polls are the values of the moment, not "American values."

Instead, “American values” refers to the values inherent in the very existence of this country as stated in our founding documents … the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Those values are our grounding, the source of America’s stability and greatness. So far, liberals and conservatives are in agreement.

The Declaration of Independence states: “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...”

The Constitution’s Preamble states, “We the people … in order to Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves” do enact this Constitution.

But reading these words does not answer the question of what America’s values are, for depending on how you approach them—whether you are a conservative or a liberal—you can pretty much find what you want … up to a point.

MAGA-adherents read the Declaration and the Constitution’s Preamble as championing self-interest and the right to do whatever one wishes. Isn’t that what liberty is all about? MAGA adherents always talk about their rights; no one can interfere with those rights. They see no responsibility towards others.

But for liberals, individual rights are tempered by the Declaration's statement that we are all created equal and were all endowed by the Creator with unalienable rights; thus, we cannot, in exercising our right, impede the exercise of another's right. That it is “we the people”—all of us—who seek to secure the blessings of liberty for each and every one of us.

Where does one look for the answer of who is right? Our laws—both civil and criminal—embody how our nation approaches the rights and responsibilities of citizens. And those laws uniformly do not allow someone, in the exercise of his right, to disturb another person’s exercise of their right or the public good.

As Abraham Lincoln put it, “each individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases … so far as he in no wise interferes with any other man’s rights.”

Even Thomas Jefferson, who was focused on preserving rights, said, “a wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement …” Lest this quote be misread, "injuring" here does not mean physical injury but injury to rights that results from the pursuit of industry and improvement.

There is thus no question that, in our legal system, no rights are absolute. Even the hallowed right of free speech is not absolute. For example, you cannot slander another person. False advertising is illegal because someone depending on such claims could be harmed.

To talk about any of the founding principles divorced from the context of equality is thus to misrepresent, deceitfully, the scope of those principles.

So, given that “American values” mean the principles that are the essence of our founding documents and given the explanation above of the American legal perspective on rights, what are core American values?

1. Equality

Although the Constitution originally greatly restricted its application, equality was enshrined as the central principle in the Declaration of Independence. (See my article, “What Exactly Does ‘All Men Are Created Equal’ Mean in the Declaration of Independence.”) Although aspirational, the concept was there, and it was that light that guided us towards the ending of slavery, the emancipation of women, the civil rights movement, and same-sex marriage.

Indeed, this central aspiration of equality drives the other key principles of American democracy and provides the context within which they are to be understood. Whether it’s the right of free speech, religious freedom, or the right to bear arms … they are only able to be properly understood within the context of equality. Taken out of that context, they are a prescription for anarchy, not democracy.

2. The Right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

What does this core principle mean? It means simply that each person has the right to try to make of his or her life what they will, to pursue their dreams.

3. Secure these rights

The other core value to be found in the Declaration, and its implementation in the Constitution, is the role of government. As stated in the Declaration, its role is “to secure these rights,” meaning the right of all to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

What does “to secure these rights” mean? It means that the government must do what is necessary to ensure that all Americans—whether white or people of color; whether rich, middle class, or poor; whether male or female—have a truly equal opportunity to pursue the right to life, liberty, and happiness.

And the government meets that responsibility by enacting policies that promote the education, jobs, and economic stability necessary to allow people to advance themselves and feel secure. Once the government ensures equal opportunity, it is the individual’s responsibility to take advantage of it.

For example, welfare is not charity, but an example of the government providing support so children have an equal opportunity to have a good education. What’s the connection? You can’t do well in school if you’re hungry, if your housing is not secure.

The government foreseen by the Founders was thus not a government that stands on the sidelines, letting nature take its course. But its role was not to directly change people’s status in life—Adams was very clear that material inequality is inherent in nature. The role of government instead is to support people’s exercise of their "moral right to equality"—to improve their situation, to pursue their rights, to make of their life what they will—by ensuring that all have an equal opportunity to do so.

In the 20th century, women gained the right to vote, workers gained rights in their employment, overt forms of discrimination—like restrictive covenants—became illegal, and minority groups benefited from laws that guaranteed equal protection in public accommodations and other areas of commerce. The movement is always moving towards more equality, more unity.

All of these governmental actions support the people’s right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” by ensuring more equal opportunity in their effort to make the most of their lives. This is the Democrats' perspective and goal.

Greed, lack of concern for others, may be values of our contemporary culture—the Trump/MAGA perspective—but they are not the values that our Founding Fathers gave America at its birth.

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Ronald L. Hirsch is a teacher, legal aid lawyer, survey researcher, nonprofit executive, consultant, composer, author, and volunteer. He is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Chicago Law School and the author of We Still Hold These Truths. Read more of his writing at www.PreservingAmericanValues.com

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