I wonder if all the debate over the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union has given Britains any insight into the American independence movement and the revolt of the colonies we celebrate this weekend. It should, you know. The reasons they’re leaving today are a lot like the reasons we left back then.
The British today never felt as though they were adequately represented in Brussels, even though they were taxed to support the EU. And Brussels seemed insensitive to what was important to the British electorate, which was embarrassing and frustrating to the government in London.
But back then, we also never felt as though we were properly represented in London, and were taxed arbitrarily. Our judges were dependent upon the crown for their jobs, their salaries, and even the length of their service.
Colonial sailors were conscripted on the high seas and forced to fight for the Royal Navy. The king would also quarter large numbers of British troops in civilian homes, which infuriated their residents. There’s a reason the Third Amendment is so high on the list.
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One of the most objectionable offenses in the eyes of the colonists was that the king forbid the states from passing laws regarding the naturalizing of foreigners. In other words, the British government did not allow the colonies to control immigration. Well, that’s perhaps the biggest issue in the current Brexit campaign to leave the EU. Now they know how that feels.
However, I think the main reason for both the American Revolution and Brexit is the fact that nobody wants to be ruled from afar by someone who appears capricious and insensitive. The British government often forced colonial legislators to convene in distant and uncomfortable places, just to wear them out and make them compliant. A lot of their other laws just seemed weird and unnecessary.
Similarly, many of the laws passed by the old men in Brussels seem weird today. Britains can’t recycle or compost teabags. Children under 8 are discouraged from blowing up balloons. Residents of the UK can eat horses as long as they’re not pet horses, and horse passports must specify in which category any horse belongs. Oddly shaped bananas and “high powered” toasters are forbidden.
I think that if the EU falls, the real reason will be the olive oil cruets people who live in café societies love to have on their restaurant tables. Brussels banned those, insisting that each diner receive a sealed and unopened bottle of olive oil each time they dined. That’s reason enough for many people to revolt.
But we learned from Britain’s mistakes. We passed a Constitution that effectively prevents tyranny by the majority. We guaranteed free speech, free assembly, and that government could not favor any particular religion. And we guaranteed the right of individuals to bear arms, so neighbors could form a “well regulated” militia, which at the time simply meant one that was functioning properly.
While our Bill of Rights is essentially a response to bad British governance, our success as a nation has been largely due to the founding proposition of this country, that people of all kinds are created equal under the law and must be allowed to live their lives as they choose. It is the only thing every true American must wholeheartedly believe, and represents the covenant that guides us toward our ultimate destiny.
There is, and will probably always be, a confederation of dunces that deny the genius of the American idea, and who promote xenophobia, resentment and hatred. But on the 4th of July we celebrate those who reject such fearful ignorance, and who bravely bask in the incredible grace God shed on the miraculous country that is the United States of America. This is their holiday.