The part that took my breath away was the twins’ ability to take another step in their understanding. They identified the deeper irony that a group of men who owned other human beings, or at the very least accepted the practice, could somehow unleash the forces of liberal progress that would not only end slavery, but also keep America always moving in a direction of vindicating the equal rights of all its people.
Those visits to Monticello, Independence Hall, the National Archives, and more, along with lots of family conversation, thankfully had landed. The world isn’t yet perfect, but it’s a lot closer than it was in 1776 thanks to those imperfect men.
For all the greatness of his philosophy and ideas, Jefferson was a hypocrite. And while so many of our fellow citizens—like those eighth graders—can’t see beyond his sins, it’s important that the rest of us don’t glide too easily past them.
Yes, some may dwell on the Founders’ wrongdoings, but that doesn’t mean others aren’t too quick to minimize them. Our objective has to be intellectual honesty, for this can have a profound effect on our credibility.
And the stakes of getting this right are high. When people dismiss the Founders as irredeemably flawed, they rarely stop there. They use that judgment to discredit everything the Founders gave us. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution weren’t merely political documents. They were revolutionary statements that human beings are born free with rights that precede government, that government derives its authority only from the consent of the governed, and that individuals have the right to live their lives as they see fit, free from the arbitrary exercise of power. The system they designed, with its separation of powers, protection of free expression and religious liberty, limits on government reach, and embrace of free exchange, created the conditions for the most prosperous and free society the world has ever seen. We need the credibility, integrity, and energy to protect that inheritance.
