Let us remember what we believe.
In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the following in the Declaration of Independence:
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, and that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
In 1787, the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States states:
We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure 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.
In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the women at the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention adopted the Declaration of Sentiments, which states:
We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
On March 7, 2024, President Joe Biden said:
“I will not demonize immigrants, saying they “poison the blood of our country,” ... I will not separate families. I will not ban people from America because of their faith. ... I know who we are as Americans…
“We are the only nation in the world with a heart and soul that draws from old and new. Home to Native Americans whose ancestors have been here for thousands of years. Home to people from every place on Earth. Some came freely. Some chained by force. Some when famine struck, like my ancestral family in Ireland. Some to flee persecution. Some to chase dreams that are impossible anywhere but here in America. That’s America, where we all come from somewhere, but we are all Americans…
“I know the American story. Again and again, I’ve seen the contest between competing forces in the battle for the soul of our nation, between those who want to pull America back to the past and those who want to move America into the future. My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy, a future based on the core values that have defined America: honesty, decency, dignity, and equality.
“To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor… Whether young or old, I’ve always known what endures: the very idea of America that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. We’ve never fully lived up to that idea, but we’ve never walked away from it, either. And I won’t walk away from it now.
“My fellow Americans, the issue facing our nation isn’t how old we are; it’s how old our ideas are. Hate, anger, revenge, and retribution are among the oldest ideas. But you can’t lead America with ancient ideas that only take us back. To lead America, the land of possibilities, you need a vision for the future of what America can and should be.
“I see a future where we defend democracy, not diminish it. I see a future where we restore the right to choose and protect other freedoms, not take them away.
“I see a future for all Americans! I see a country for all Americans! And I will always be a president for all Americans!
Because I believe in America! I believe in you, the American people.”