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I hope you saw my latest weekly column.



ROGER WICKER: Holiday An Occasion To Learn About What Makes America Exceptional

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Even before the United States won its independence, Americans were celebrating
Presidents Day. At Valley Forge in 1778, fifers and drummers played music on
February 22 to mark the occasion. It was George Washington’s birthday.



Two hundred and forty-five years later, we celebrate the remarkable leaders
who have made America’s experiment in self-government endure, including George
Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and those who have
upheld their ideals for nearly 250 years. Today, it is our job to pass on the
lessons of our Founders to the next generation.



Lessons from the Founding Fathers



From the beginning, America was different. John Adams chose Thomas Jefferson,
the youngest delegate to the Second Continental Congress, to explain our
guiding philosophy in the Declaration of Independence. We are a nation
dedicated to the self-evident truth that every human being is created equal.
The purpose of our government is to secure Americans’ inalienable rights,
including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.



The Founding Fathers’ examples also made America exceptional. After he won the
Revolutionary War, many people thought that General George Washington would
become a monarch, just like most revolutionaries before him. Instead, he
resigned his commission and returned to his home. When King George III heard of
Washington’s plan to step down, he marveled, “If he does that, he will be the
greatest man in the world.”



Washington later presided over the Constitutional Convention, working for four
months in a sweltering hall to write what Frederick Douglass later described as
a “glorious liberty document.” Most Americans focus on the importance of the
Bill of Rights and its protections for freedom of speech, freedom of assembly,
and religious liberty. I believe the framework of our government was even more
profound. The Constitution provides for the separation of powers and a system
of checks and balances, preventing any one government official from becoming
all powerful. It empowers citizens to govern themselves at the state and local
level through federalism. The Constitution works. Today, it is the
longest-lasting charter of government on the planet.



Teach the Next Generation



This history is worth celebrating, not only because it is the story America
tells about itself, but because it is true. I am reminded of that fact every
day I walk past paintings and statues of the Founding Fathers in the United
States Capitol.



When my wife, Gayle, and I visit Mississippi schools, we are impressed by
students’ knowledge of American history and their ability to debate complex
issues. We take time to thank their dedicated parents and teachers who make
that possible.



They often tell us how challenging it can be to have nuanced conversations
about American history, given today’s woke politics. Unfortunately, debunked
narratives like the 1619 Project have become fashionable in some circles,
despite the fact that many of our nation’s most distinguished historians have
pointed out the distortions and falsehoods.



Nevertheless, I am confident that the next generation is in good hands.
Mississippi parents and teachers are engaged, both in the classroom and at the
dinner table. We should all take time on Presidents Day to talk about what this
holiday means. But in case those conversations have not started quite yet, I
will pass on some advice from President Ronald Reagan to today’s young people:
“Children, if your parents haven't been teaching you what it means to be an
American, let 'em know and nail 'em on it. That would be a very American thing
to do.”





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Thank you for your support,

Senator Roger Wicker






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