The 250th Birthday of the United States was July 4th, 2026. What are you celebrating?

My wife’s wisdom should guide you.

As I wrote in my acknowledgements for the General Counsel Series (The Promised Land, at 14):

A comment by my wife Suzanne after seeing the show at the American Pavilion in Epcot Center in Walt Disney World gave me the essential vision of Visions of America; she felt that we should be proud about something besides all of the wars we’ve won.

And so, for the celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States, do not celebrate with gold statues or triumphal arches dedicated to the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, or the Power of the United States.

Celebrate by remembering the countless ways that the United States struggles (despite going astray (Isaiah 53:6)) to establish the ideal America first discovered by the hearts of Abraham, Moses and Jesus:

—blessing ALL people (Abraham; Genesis 12:2-3);

—challenging ALL pharaohs to set ALL people free (Moses; Exodus 8:1); and

—healing ALL hurting people (Jesus; Luke 10:25-37).

Honor those who blessed people, challenged pharaohs to set people free, and healed hurting people. Celebrate Susan B. Anthony!

Here is an example of such blessing, challenging and healing taken from Visions of America, Visions of the Church, at pages 103-104:

Susan B. Anthony

One of Frederick Douglass’s friends, when he lived in Rochester, New York, was Susan B. Anthony. Her name stands as tall in the annals of freedom for women as his name stands tall in the annals of freedom for African-Americans.

Susan B. Anthony’s most memorable blow for women’s rights was struck in the presidential election of 1872.

These years immediately after the Civil War were full of both turmoil and possibility. The former slaves were now voting in the South—electing African-Americans to Congress and to governor’s mansions.

Susan B. Anthony wondered. If former slaves can vote, why can’t women vote? To dramatize her point, she registered to vote for President in 1872. Former General Ulysses S. Grant was running for a second term.

Grant had never fought an enemy as powerful as men’s prejudice against women. For daring to vote, Susan B. Anthony was arrested, convicted, and fined $100.

Fortunately, Susan B. Anthony was as persistent fighting prejudice as General Grant had been persistent fighting Robert E. Lee. She never gave in as she fought to prove that God created all people equal, not just all men equal. She never gave in as she fought prejudice so that women could enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Do you believe that women have the right to vote? Why? Why not?

Are you opposed to efforts to limit the ability of women to vote, such as making it hard to get ID if she changed her name when she got married? Why?

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For related thoughts, please read my blogs “My Mother’s Preaching and Teaching”; “Sunglasses of Prejudices”; “Grace and Peace: Titus”; and “Jesus Climbs the Temple Mount”.