George Washington was elected 236 years ago. Since, there have been 59 presidential elections (including this coming November). Washington could have been president for life but opted for returning home to Virginia and life as a private citizen. He established a pattern for the presidency that has served the nation well.

It takes a strong leader to know when they no longer serve the best interests of the people and nation. Some think only they can save things and right the ship of state, they forget everyone is replaceable.

Two hundred and forty-eight years ago Thomas Jefferson penned, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These words should apply to all Americans, yet they are still debated. Like the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution should be clear in its call that “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Not even the Supreme Court agrees on what this means, and they are the final arbiters of what the document says.

With this lack of clarity, how could we not be a divided nation? Since the Civil War, we should have gained skills on how to get along so that internal strife and war are not our only option. With decades of opportunity, we should have mastered the lessons of history, as leaders of the free world we should have developed strategies to avoid the worst in human nature and put the nation and society ahead of our personal ambition and greed. But here we are in 2024, clutching our purses with one hand and the necks of our neighbors with the other. 

The canard that history repeats itself is one that allows us to shirk our responsibility. History is a flowing river, the good and bad lie beneath the surface, but the river continues to flow. When we let down our guard, when we become complacent, prejudice, fear, and ignorance rise to the surface. That is when people silence others, challenge freedoms, take books off shelves, question who is and who is not entitled to the rights stated in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. 

This is when we forget what being an American is. As a country we struggle to be better, to address the troubles here at home and overseas, no matter how challenging. We do not always do it well, we have allowed greed and power to overcome our best intentions, but as Americans, we try to correct those mistakes, redress the bad judgement, and right the course staying true to our calling to be a light unto the nations.

For many around the world, we remain the “shining city on the hill.” For many, the Statue of Liberty’s lamp still offers refuge and hope that we will “secure the blessings of liberty” for ourselves and future generations. Each American has a role to play if our nation is to achieve its potential, each of us must strive to reach our full potential if we are to remain a bastion for democracy and freedom.

We find our way by rereading the documents that led us here. We challenge the interpretations that have divided us, remind ourselves that compromise is not failure, and seek out areas of agreement before we fall into the chasms that divide us. How does an individual who claims to love this country with all their heart be so blind sighted by ego that they are willing to take us to war rather than allow new leadership to step into the void?

As a nation built by the best and brightest, we cannot sit idly by as the courts undermine the Rule of Law and leave appointed and elected officials above the law, but the people under their thumbs. If the court decisions are to be believed, soon the police will be able to do anything (like presidents and justices) that could be considered part of the job with no public recourse. They will receive tips, not bribes, and excessive force will be all well and good in the line of duty.

We are a nation of laws, if we lose that we are not the United States of America. Before the election comes, consider talking to your friends and neighbors. There are ideals bigger than each of us individually, and those things are worth sacrificing for. Our opportunity to be good citizens is upon us.

Robert Kesten, Executive Director of Stonewall National Museum, Archives, & Library, conceptualized the United Nations’ Decade of Human Rights Education. He stepped in for Sabrina Haake to write this article.