(Oregon Right to Life) — This year, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, we have so much to be thankful for. We are celebrating in light of the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson U.S. Supreme Court decision, which overturned an unjust, ill-conceived, and deadly 1973 Roe v Wade ruling, marking a pivotal moment in our ongoing pursuit of justice and human rights. That celebration is significant in so many ways and is the most recent in our history of setting right historical errors in the cause of human rights and social justice.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. One of the exhibits displays a rare 1820 facsimile of the Declaration of Independence created by engraver William Stone. As I entered the exhibit, I realized that the Declaration was being read aloud. As I listened and tried to read along, a strange and troubling juxtaposition emerged in my mind between my admiration for Jefferson’s brilliance, hospitality, and vision, and my sorrow over how he participated in slavery.
I think that discomfort is actually a compelling reason why America is worth celebrating – because we have shown an amazing ability, over the course of time, to right wrongs and advance the cause of liberty. Throughout our history, there have always been Americans who recognized injustice and found ways to advocate for change, moving ever forward toward a more just union, inspiring hope for continued progress.
Americans such as Sojourner Truth, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dr. Mildred Jefferson, as well as so many others. Everyday heroes who worked tirelessly to restore and protect human and civil rights.
They were all flawed, complicated human beings, but they saw the dissonance between the current law and the vision of the Declaration, each one determined to bring Americans together to change hearts, minds, and the law. Their example reminds us that perseverance through imperfection is part of our collective strength.
And you, pro-life advocate, are part of this great vision, this history of a nation that continues to become a more perfect union. I hope that you will celebrate what we have achieved together as Americans.
Happy 250th birthday to the U.S.A.!
