By Sophia Pride<\/strong><\/p>\n Theme: Is America Today our Forefathers\u2019 Vision?<\/em><\/p>\n Walking into a funeral home is never easy, especially when it\u2019s someone as near and dear as my Grandfather, or as I affectionately call him, \u201cGrampy.\u201d I braced myself for the two-hour visitation before his burial, but as I caught a glimpse of his casket, time stopped. It was one of the most beautiful and fitting sights\u2014a mesmerizing navy blue, adorned with golden embellishments and made of steel. This coffin perfectly represented his brief time in the Navy and his 20 years on the police force. In those few seconds of seeing his final vessel, I was overwhelmed by a flood of foreign emotions\u2014not from the thought of his death, but from the sight of the American flag draped gracefully over the casket. Looking at that flag, feelings of sadness and fear were swiftly replaced by a profound sense of patriotism and immense appreciation for all who sacrificed themselves for the benefit of our nation.<\/p>\n My Grandfather was a prophet of history. Anything pre-Civil War was his specialty. Sitting in his rocking chair on the screened-in porch he built himself, he would share countless stories and lessons. I\u2019d come home from school, eager to share what I\u2019d learned in social studies, only to find him ready to fact-check me and correct any fallacies in my logic. One of my favorite conversations revolved around the Boston Tea Party. Sharp as a tack, he would rock back and forth in his mahogany chair, recounting how the Sons of Liberty dressed up as Native Americans and dumped what would be millions of dollars worth of tea into the harbor in protest against the Townshend Acts. This always triggered a slight cringe in his face, in light of his penny-pinching personality, however, he described the Tea Party in such vivid detail that it felt as though he had been there; witnessing the harbor filling with tea. The over-regulation and taxation (without representation) that fueled their rebellion would fill the room with an air of determination, reminding me of my duty as an American citizen to preserve the freedoms granted by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which I rely on daily.<\/p>\n Through these stories, I slowly began to notice a lack of resistance among my peers. While movements like \u201cBlack Lives Matter\u201d and \u201cMe Too\u201d could be seen as acts of protest akin to that of the Sons of Liberty, I disagree. The intentions of our Forefathers were grounded in critical thinking, not herd mentality. With the rise of social media and news outlets pushing a constantly skewed and biased agenda, individuals often act out of compliance rather than defiance. The Revolutionary War and the Civil War were fueled by a desire to challenge societal norms, not by a fear of cancel culture. Those who fought on the winning side pushed the boundaries of complex thought and ideals. Many modern movements fail to leave room for interpretation of the events surrounding their initiatives, often allowing external political issues to dictate who can participate. As a result, these movements risk transforming opportunities for profound change into radical agendas.<\/p>\n Another prophet once said, “Either you will control your government, or your government will control you.” \u2014Ronald Reagan. This is a statement to which many would wholeheartedly agree. Especially when it comes to the federal income tax, which can be perceived as a method of government control rather than one meant to serve the public good. People often feel that they are just a cog in machinery, bound by rules and policies that seem to prefer the state over an individual. Grampy would always tell me how the root of American democracy is based upon the fact that government is supposed to be for the people and by the people, not the other way around.<\/p>\n With Grampy’s lessons in mind and thinking about what the landscape of activism is today, I feel that real change comes through questioning the status quo, along with relevant discourse, and being responsible for the duties we hold as citizens. We must honor their sacrifice with a democracy that is hyper-engaged at once, resistant to complacency, and receptive to our voices. Not following those echoed in virtual sound chambers of social media, but in the halls of power where decisions are made.<\/p>\n After all, America today is not simply a reflection of what our Forefathers envisioned but a living, breathing organism that requires our dedication and commitment, to see liberty and justice endure. It is in doing so, capturing the essence of those predecessors, that the Forefather’s vision, although waning, can live on to ensure our great nation endures for centuries to come as a beacon of hope and freedom. Once we fail to hear our lesser-known prophets \u2014carriers of hidden tokens of wisdom and insight into what it has been versus what it could be\u2014 is when our nation will be completely separated from the vision of the Founding Fathers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"