Don Knebel: Reflections on Independence Day
Two weeks ago we celebrated the 247th anniversary of the adoption of the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. Most Americans are familiar with these famous words near the beginning of that document – “We hold these truths to be self-evident.”
The last words of the “unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America” are less well-known – “And 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.” The 56 men whose signatures followed – yes, in those days they were all men – had literally put what they considered the best interests of their country, then still colonies of Great Britain, ahead of their own lives and fortunes. That was a huge risk; they were confronting the most powerful empire on the planet.
When we celebrate the Fourth of July, that courage is really what we are celebrating.
About a year ago, a handful of concerned Hoosiers formed ReCenter Indiana. We are bipartisan, and our goal was and is “reclaiming the political center for a better Indiana.” We are often asked what it means to be a “centrist,” someone whom we would support for elected office. Depending on their own views, some ask how any Republican or any Democrat could possibly be a centrist.
For us, the signers of the Declaration of Independence were all centrists; they put the interests of the emerging United States ahead of their own well-being, even if it were to cost them their lives.
Some of the signers came from slave states; others came from free states. Some were lawyers and some were farmers. During the first four days of July in a hot Philadelphia, they argued and debated, with the outcome never certain. But by July 4, they had found the common ground that gave birth to the United States of America, a legacy all Americans share.
Far too often today, we see Republican and Democratic politicians whose behavior is the opposite of our founders, putting their own political ambitions ahead of the interests of their constituents. They refuse to debate and refuse to seek a compromise. “Sacred honor,” their actions suggest, no longer matters.
Those politicians do not fit the definition of “centrist,” and we encourage them to find inspiration from America’s founders to seek compromise. Alternatively, we encourage voters to support centrist candidates so we can enjoy at least another 247 years of freedom.
About Don
Don Knebel is the president of the ReCenter Indiana board. He is of counsel with the law firm of Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Indianapolis, having retired as partner in 2013 after a career of almost 40 years as an intellectual property litigator. He currently serves as an adjunct professor and senior advisor to the Center for Intellectual Property Research at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington.
