The Declaration of Independence: Sacred for Self-Definition
Maier’s description of the Declaration of Independence as “pouring old wine into an old vessel manufactured for another purpose” (Maier, 1998, p. 208)
Old Wine and Vinegar
In my view, the old wine was the “fundamental constitutional documents emerged [,] … in the Magna Carta five centuries earlier” (p. xv). The elements of the Magna Carta had been fermented through centuries of harsh experimentation of monarchs and through the contentious challenge by British subjects and American colonists.
The earlier methods of its application — by rulers inebriated by the total corruption of total power — crushed its subjects, pressed them into servitude, and left the rancid taste of vinegar, full of bitterness and sourness in the lives of the colonists.
However, through trial and error, successes, and failures, and promises and broken oaths, the country mastered the art of fermenting a better wine and turned it into a democratic process that is tolerable to this day.
Old Vessel
The old vessel symbolizes many different elements. First, the individual human is the primal vessel, who once had minimal rights, but through the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, secured inalienable rights. The second old vessel is the collective, the community, and the country — the platform of interconnected domains in which humans can survive and prosper. The third old vessel is the universal concept of a Divine Power that Maier defines as the non-biased, non-denominational civil religion that bridges the priorities of man and the harmony necessary to sustain a community.
The Other Purpose
Maier stated that the Declaration’s “continuing usefulness depended not on the faithfulness with which it described by the intentions of the signers, but on its capacity to inspire living Americans.” (Maier, 1998, p. 208).
This is an exact opposite to the old purpose, which was rule by birth, to a new purpose of government by consent — founded on equality and merit, and not of lineage.
1. Oral Interpretation/Re-Interpretation
First, if citizens follow only written words — and forgo an oral interpretation to challenge or to redefine written words, the country shifts to a fundamentalist view where laws become rigid and creative arguments automatically become suspect. Second, re-interpretations improve the understanding of citizens because questions inspire an infinite number of other questions (abundance mentality), while answers give a final and finite solution (rigid/scarcity mentality).
2. Inspire the Living
As a country, we cannot achieve the “continuing act national self-definition” (Maier, 1998, p. 208) if thoughts, laws, and solutions are based on those who already passed. Ancestors are important as they provide a solid foundation of values, ethics, and procedures. We should remember them, revere them, and honor them; however, if we depend solely on their thoughts, we will never learn to depend on our intellect, we will become afraid of making decisions, and the country’s problem-solving skills will become non-existent, or at the very least, deficient.
3. Honor the Past by Doing Better Today
We should honor the founders by questioning their wisdom and by continuously challenging our own definitions of government by consensus. Most importantly, we should inspire our children to do the same so that they can truly live.
Copyright Leonard Casiple 2023. All rights reserved.
About the author: Leo Casiple is a first-generation American who grew up in Southern Philippines under martial law. He spent much of his 21-year career in the US Army as a Green Beret.
Leo is currently a doctoral student at Northeastern University’s Doctor of Law and Policy program (2022–2025 Cohort). He earned his education from California Lutheran University (MPPA), ASU Thunderbird School of Global Management (MBA in Global Management), Excelsior University (BS in Liberal Arts, Ethnic and Area Studies), Academy of Competitive Intelligence (Master of Competitive Intelligence™), Defense Language Institute and Foreign Language Center (18-month Arabic Language Course), and the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (Special Forces Qualification Course and Psychological Operations Specialist Course).
For more information about the author, click here: Leo’s LinkedIn Profile
Copyright Leonard Casiple 2023. All rights reserved.
References
Maier, P. (1998). American scripture: Making the declaration of independence. Random House, Inc.
