What Does Freedom Mean in America at 250?
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The United States is a nation built on unfinished promises. From the Declaration of Independence to the Statue of Liberty lifting her lamp beside “the golden door to those seeking freedom”, America has never perfectly lived up to its mottoes or ideals. Yet, since the founding, even the incomplete guarantees of equality, liberty and justice have inspired Americans to continue to work to make them a reality. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, we should acknowledge the profound truth in the Declaration’s promises while recognizing our ongoing duty to ensure them for all.
The commitments found in the Declaration embody the core of the American creed and they are what attract so many from around the world to make their way to our shores. America has a long history of welcoming peoples of varying nationalities, religions and heritage who come seeking freedom and opportunity. In an address to Irish immigrants after the Battle of Yorktown, George Washington once said that “the bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respectable stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions, whom we shall welcome to participate in all of our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment.” This same promise is captured by Emma Lazarus’ call to open the golden door to “the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free” inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty.
Yet alongside this promise there has often been a parallel thread of fear and resentment towards immigrants manifested, at times, in nativism, racism and xenophobia. From Ben Franklin’s skepticism about German immigrants’ ability to integrate into Pennsylvania to the 19th century’s Chinese Exclusion Act to contemporary political rhetoric comparing immigrants to extraterrestrials or vermin, there are those who have pushed back on America’s ability or duty to welcome those seeking freedom and safety.
The Promise Behind the Declaration
Since 1776, immigration has shaped not only American society, but what it means to be an American. The Declaration was the beginning of a dialogue about American identity, of which today’s debates over birthright citizenship are merely the latest chapter. Today, Americans have the choice of which legacy to carry on (and which identity to build): one of hospitality or one of fear and exclusion.
That choice begins with the recognition that although the ideals of the Declaration were not fully realized then, behind them lies something profoundly true. As Christians we know that human beings possess innate value, dignity, and equality of rights to life and freedom regardless of whether the founders wrote it down. The principles of that document are more than political assertions; indeed, many of them are based on scriptural truth.
One Nation Out of Many
United by a common creed of moral ideals captured in the seminal texts of the Declaration, the Bill of Rights, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, individuals from diverse backgrounds form our nation today. Out of many peoples, E pluribus unum. While the history of the United States certainly includes failures to embody these principles, in our more noble moments we sought to create a society equal and open to all. We can see in our national ideals mirrored the biblical truth that “God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” (Acts 34-35). We can both acknowledge the greatness of our nation and the need to hold it accountable to its founding ideals by continuing to fight for justice and equality.
And yet, today, the promise of equality and the golden door are in danger of being forgotten. Legal pathways to immigration have been greatly diminished, with new travel bans imposed on roughly 40 percent of the countries of the world. A “mass deportation” policy has detained tens of thousands of immigrants not convicted of any crime, some of whom were lawfully present in the country, many of whom have been separated from U.S. citizen family members. Congress has limited access to food assistance and healthcare services previously available to refugees and certain other lawfully-present immigrants. As for refugees and asylum seekers, our country has all but shut the door, allowing only a few refugees from a preferred group, but keeping out entirely those persecuted for their faith and denying nearly all asylum applications.
The Choice Before Us
All these measures contradict the openness that George Washington spoke of to the disfavored immigrants of his day. In fact, they sound more like the policies of King George that the signatories of the Declaration cited as specific grievances, “obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither.”
As Americans we must take action if we wish to preserve our legacy and uphold our duty to welcome foreigners regardless of race, religion or nationality. America has long defined itself, in the words of John F. Kennedy, as a “nation of immigrants,” a nation which welcomes others because our ancestors were once strangers too. If we continue to pursue a policy of discouraging immigration and turning away those in need we risk not only hurting our reputation but abandoning the core of who we are. As Ronald Reagan warned, “if we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.”
When the founders asserted our inalienable rights 250 years ago, they knew the struggle to realize them was far from over. The Declaration ends with the commitment that “for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” Today we must uphold this pledge and continue to advocate for justice trusting in God to guide us.