Both classical republicanism — with a lowercase r, meaning representative government — and natural-rights theory informed the founders as they fashioned the Declaration of Independence and later the Constitution.
We speak much about natural rights, and indeed we are in the midst of celebrating the most famous and impactful declaration of rights: “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.”
However, perhaps our modern society misses the equally profound impact on our nation’s founding of classical republicanism, particularly civic virtue and commitment to the common good. I wonder if in our frenzy over our individual rights we forget the importance of the common good.
Firefighting and the ‘public good’
I know I am guilty of this at times, yet this year as my family, home and community were faced with the devastating danger of the Babylon Fire, I was reminded of noble ideals and civic virtue. I reside in Monticello, Utah, and much of my summer was spent witnessing the uncommon valor of firefighters displaying courage and sacrifice for people they have never met.
We need civic virtues and devotion to the common good if we hope to maintain our unalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
John Adams, ardent American revolutionary and second president of the United States, cared deeply about American rights. Yet he wrote, “There must be a positive passion for the public good ... or there can be no republican government, nor any real liberty.”
These ideals of the “public good” are not out of fashion when you are faced with evacuation orders. As our small community celebrated our America 250 potluck on July 5, the smoke and wind filled our outdoor pavilion.
Despite those conditions, we were determined to celebrate this momentous occasion. We felt an especial sense of unity as our town began to fill up with firetrucks from all over Utah and surrounding Western states. We were humbled and frightened as just a few days before on the Utah-Colorado border, five firefighters were forced to deploy their fire shelters. Three of them died while fighting the fire, with a fourth later succumbing to their injuries.
With more than 107,000 acres burned and my home in the direct line of fire, my world hinged on the goodness and bravery of nearly 1,500 firefighters and crew. I watched with emotion as men and women daily drove down our mountain with dirt, ash, smoke and fatigue etched into their faces. The scene reminded me of what truly makes our nation great.
As a community, we cheered these heroes as they made their way to a shower, dinner and a few hours of sleep to then repeat their backbreaking work amid the heat of the fire on an already-scorching summer day — all this to preserve our pursuit of happiness.
The civic virtues of courage, honesty, self-sacrifice and hard work demonstrated by these firefighters protected my home from wildfire. These same qualities are vital to safeguard our nation from the tyrannies that can deny us of our rights.
We cannot have one without the other. We need civic virtues and devotion to the common good if we hope to maintain our unalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
I hope my memory will be long and my gratitude enduring for the valor I witnessed when the welfare of the many took priority over the self-interest of the one.
This piece is courtesy of the Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University. Learn more about how CCS is marking the Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary.