I am writing this essay on the day we celebrate the fact that 250 years ago today a group of men in Philadelphia made an incredible declaration. They asserted that 13 colonies in North America were no longer answerable to England’s King George III but were instead free to govern themselves. A few years later many of these same people wrote an owner’s manual that we call the Constitution.

Since then we’ve been governed by geniuses, heroes and scoundrels. We’ve always been a work in progress. Since our founding we’ve opened up voting to women, native Americans and former slaves. We’ve recognized that people from all over the world have found us and have come to our shores to join us. And we’ve recognized that we never stop learning what it means to be free.

And there are times when we’ve stumbled. We’ve not always lived up to our ideals and we’ve been slow to recognize that. But we haven’t given up.

Now on our 250th birthday we have an opportunity to look back and look forward. But it’s a hard time. Our current President is not a man who chooses to do either. He has, at best, a limited understanding of what it means to govern and no understanding of what it means to lead. He’s made this celebration of our nation an homage to himself.

But in the end we have proven ourselves to be stronger than just one man, regardless of his intent. We need to keep fighting but we need to avoid falling into despair. The recent Supreme Court ruling in Trump v Barbara reminds us that he doesn’t have the power to repeal a Constitutional Amendment by executive order.

There is a great deal more I could say but in fifty years we will celebrate our Tricentennial and we will have learned from this chapter. This I believe.