PLATTEVILLE, July 1 — The Declaration of Independence, which turns 250 years old Saturday, lists “certain inalienable rights” that include “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
The U.S. Constitution, which turns 239 years old Sept. 17, starts with “We the people” seeking to among other goals “promote the general welfare.”
Those phrases came to mind as I observed maybe the happiest and best attended public works opening in my professional career — the reopening of the Platteville Family Aquatic Center two years and a month after it closed to severe leaking. (As did the realization that we no longer have to worry about how “semiquincentennial” is spelled.)
The new pool on one hand has to be the favorite public works project of Platteville parents who can take or tell their squirrelly children to go to the pool. And the pool reopening came not a moment too soon considering the current meteorological steambath.
The pool rebuild was an example of democracy and community in action. Recall that a citywide referendum overwhelmingly approved borrowing up to $6.9 million — money that can’t be used for other city uses — to replace the pool. The likelihood is that people voted for the pool who may never step inside, let alone jump in the pool themselves. Add to that the $1.052 million the pool fundraising committee raised for features not originally included in the project.
Recall also that almost 800 voters voted against the project, and presumably more people who didn’t want the pool, or didn’t care whether or not a new pool was built, didn’t vote. (For that matter some of those Yes votes probably came from people who live in Platteville only for four years and may or may not return.) In a democracy, however, the majority (of voters) rules, and a 76-percent Yes vote certainly cannot be accused of thwarting the will of the people (who voted, and they are the only people who count in elections).
I have been ruminating in this space of your favorite weekly newspaper about the themes that come to mind as this Independence Day comes up, and probably will some more as Constitution Day comes up 3½ months from now, and may still as Election Day comes up 1½ months after that. These are important to consider particularly in an era in which some Americans seem perfectly willing to junk them in favor of how they think this country should operate.
One month ago I wrote here that democracy means in a general sense that you get a vote on who represents yourself from local to federal government. So does everyone else who bothers to vote, including those whose political views are opposite of yours. The winner of any election is the candidate who gets a plurality of votes; in a referendum the side with the majority of votes prevails. You do not get more of a vote or less of a vote than anyone else. In a democracy you are not guaranteed the result you prefer.
Those phrases “pursuit of happiness” and “promote the general welfare” have been debated since Americans noticed them in print. So has the concept of “freedom,” which means different things to different people, and the extent to which what the Constitution says should mean today.
This country is not perfect. That’s because of the 558 million Americans who have lived in this country since its founding 250 years ago Saturday, including the 342.6 million Americans now here. Disapproval of the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington might be why this country’s 250th birthday might seem subdued. That occupant will be leaving by Jan. 20, 2029, and the U.S. will stil be here. Things not all being to your liking — politically, economically, culturally or in any other sense — doesn’t mean things need changing or will change. Respecting democracy requires respecting the other side.
Perhaps ironically it took visitors to this country during the current soccer World Cup, who have marveled on social media over things Americans take for granted such as water with ice with restaurant orders, free chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants, air conditioning, and Americans who do not complain over things about this country they don’t like. You don’t need to approve of whom a majority of Americans (including historically a majority of your neighbors, broadly speaking) most recently voted for to realize that it’s certainly better here than basically anywhere else on the planet.
Two phrases come to mind. Benjamin Franklin, my favorite Founding Father, was asked upon the completion of the Constitution whether the Constitutional Convention delegates had created a republic or monarchy, and answered “A republic, if you can keep it.”
The other is the winner of a contest the Freakonomics blog conducted in 2008 for a six-word motto for this country: “Our worst critics prefer to stay.”
