The lyrics of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" by Julia Ward Howe include the words "With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me ..."  The enemies of our Republic need to be transfigured.  Rep. Ilhan Omar, tweeting her thoughts about July 4 stated, "Today gives us all a chance to reflect on how far we have come as a country and how much further we have to go to achieve full equality for all people.  We are at a tipping point for progress."  This rebuke of our socio-political system contrasted with her joyful dancing at the Somalia Independence Day celebration on July 1.  Her tweet on that occasion included the words, "Somalia hanoolaato," or "Long live Somalia," even though Somalia has been a hotbed of undemocratic rule and civil strife since its independence from Great Britain in 1960.  This is a woman now wagging her finger at America who came here from a refugee camp in Kenya after fleeing Somalia, receiving asylum in the U.S. from her family's radical dislocation.  Yet she is unable to unashamedly say, "Long live America."

Another enemy of our Republic is Colin Kaepernick.  Now he is repudiating the Betsy Ross flag in the name of some radical version of civil rights.  Ignorant Colin obviously does not know that Betsy Ross was a Quaker and an abolitionist.  The Quakers had an extreme view of "liberty in Christ" that readily lent itself to the abolitionist cause.  Further, does Colin even know that Frederick Douglass, one of the greatest black spokesmen for abolition, often quoted the Declaration of Independence as an important document in the abolitionist cause?  Has any of these mental giants who are taking knees ever read Carl Becker's classic book on the Declaration of Independence, which clearly reports that the original phrase "life, liberty, and property" (taken from the writings of John Locke) was changed by Thomas Jefferson to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" because he believed that inclusion of the word "property" would seem to justify slavery — i.e., the treatment of human beings as property?

Have these naysayers experienced an ounce of gratitude toward the country of their birth?  Are they aware that the Northwest Ordinance passed in the 1780s banned slavery from territory newly won from the British?  Do they understand that more than 300,000 white men perished in the Civil War to free the slaves, and that the Republicans spent enormous national wealth to maintain troops in the South until 1877?  Do they have a shred of understanding about the importance of our intervention and success in World War II, and the concomitant independence of third-world countries that was deeply connected with that victory?  Or of our important role in bringing about the collapse of the USSR?

Ignorance is on the march.  Attempts at reasoning with the unreasonable are useless.  A "transfiguring in the bosom" is needed, as Julia Howe wrote so beautifully in the 19th century.

These hyper-critical left-wing critics of the USA are not merely offering constructive criticism, but offering destructive criticism.  They are not only addressing wrongs to be righted, but perceiving the fundamental creation of the USA and its unfolding history as fundamentally wrong — reflecting racism, sexism, and capitalistic selfishness.  To the Left, these themes are foundational and, to the extent they may still exist, are not merely distortions, but the basis for justifying a radical disloyalty and rejection of our culture.   

Marxist-Leninist "realism" and strict marshaling of resources by an all-knowing government are deemed superior to the moralistic Judeo-Christian foundations, institutions, and legal constructs of the British-American legal system.  America's unique identity and contributions to the world are downplayed under the rubric that all other countries are just as good as we are.  American exceptionalism is considered by leftist citizens an unwarranted ego trip.  Our sovereignty should be downplayed or muted before a global vision.  To the Left, we should grasp opportunities presented by the U.N. and other institutions to take steps toward a world government.  The U.S. should help fund such a government but must resist and eschew all desires to dominate such a government. 

The global government ideal of U.N. Agenda 2030 is built around "needs," not "rights" (which are emphasized in the U.N.'s post-WWII "Declaration of Human Rights").  "Sustainable development" is a phrase found in most of its ninety-one sections.  A government concerned first and foremost with needs and sustainable development will help us root out all the overlays of pride and selfishness in our culture.  Whatever good actually is in America will be retained as we realize our finest hour by living in a totally controlled, utopian paradise of world government.  Reducing our acknowledgement of the greatness of our ideals, laws, economy, and history is the globalist version of Marie Antoinette's classical remark of contempt, when she is alleged to have said, "Let them eat cake."  Marie Antoinette supposedly dismissed the cries of the French people for a voice in their government.  The globalists are dismissing the cries of the American people for respect, appreciation, and justice.

One other glimpse into the leftist world of non-transfigured hearts: My office is shared with other adjunct professors, many of whom are die-hard leftists.  One of the custodians is a communist who likes to come in and joke around.  He is a cheerful fellow with a goatee who looks like a combination of Vladimir Lenin and Sigmund Freud.  One day, as I was sitting alone in the office, he came in and with a big smile invited me to an "anti–July 4 party."  It was to be a rejection of American phoniness and its useless, self-serving racist, sexist, and capitalist principles embodied in the Declaration.  He was very pleased with himself.  He was joining in classless unity with the highly educated professors who shared his ideals.  In his mind, he had transcended the American myths embodied by July 4 celebrations.  After all, Jean-Jacques Rousseau had warned us that "man is free but everywhere in chains."  The communist custodian believed himself to be truly free of his chains, thus free of the bogus freedom that most Americans were celebrating on Independence Day.

Imagine his surprise when this writer told him that my grandparents had come to the USA more than 100 years ago, almost penniless.  There were no welfare programs, only the potential of a life of opportunity and real hope.  They worked and between both sides produced eleven children.  All the children grew to gainful employment.  None was an alcoholic, a criminal, or an addict.  They in turn produced 17 grandchildren, and many of them, including yours truly — not encumbered with overwhelming economic problems — managed to take advantage of the educational opportunities that are available.  In what possible existential sense could this professor attend or even sanction an anti–July 4 social event?  Indeed, the very thought of such an event was entirely repugnant to me.

No.  His party was not for me.  My wife and I would be going to watch the fireworks shooting high above the river and thanking God for the opportunity to walk on this soil and breathe this air.