On July 4th, Americans celebrate their independence and liberty. The Declaration of Independence asserted the colonist’s independence from the tyrannical rule of the British Empire. The declaration created the platform for the Constitution of the United States, which formed three co-equal branches of government. Today, the constitution is in a state of perpetual crisis. Donald Trump has repeatedly betrayed his oath of office: to defend and protect the constitution. And as a result, we’re now on the brink of tyranny.

A brief history of America’s origins

It’s been 243 years since the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress. At the time of the signing, the American Revolutionary War was well under way. Thirteen separate colonies banded together in a state of rebellion against the British Empire.

The colonists viewed King George III as a tyrannical monarch. They didn’t have control over their own affairs, so they rebelled against the greatest empire the world had ever seen. The colonies were united by war, but they weren’t yet an independent, sovereign power.

The Declaration of Independence was their formal assertion of self-government, breaking their political bands with Great Britain. A significant portion of the document cited specific grievances against King George III. Through history, the grievances have been eclipsed by the powerful prose written by Thomas Jefferson, which made the document a mission statement for what would become the United States of America. Jefferson, with some mild editing by Benjamin Franklin, created the American creed:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Some years later, against all odds, the war was won and America became an independent player on the world stage. They created a system of self-governance by framing and adopting the Constitution of the United States. The constitution formed three co-equal branches of government, as well as a Bill of Rights to ensure its citizens would have guaranteed civil liberties.

While the declaration spoke of liberty and equality, and the constitution implemented those ideals, the reality was different. These rights didn’t apply to everyone. There were millions of African-Americans enslaved, a sinful hypocrisy the founders were well aware of, but didn’t do anything about. America’s original sin of slavery continued for nearly a century. Abraham Lincoln initially put an end to slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War, though it wasn’t until the passage of the 13th Amendment to the constitution that slavery was banished. During Reconstruction, the 15th Amendment was passed, giving black men the right to vote. A half-century later, women were granted the right to vote with the passage of the 19th Amendment.

The constitution is an imperfect document, which is why amendments are needed. It’s survived as long as it has due to its separation of powers, checks and balances, and its ability to adapt. If the branches of government cease to be equal, we’re no longer living in a system of self-governance, as described in the Declaration of Independence –we’re living in a state of tyranny wearing the mask of a democracy.

Where we are now

Donald Trump has unilaterally decided to throw a “Salute to America” parade on this July 4th. This isn’t an innocent parade to celebrate our independence, it’s a military parade –the likes of which we’ve never seen before in peacetime. The only thing familiar about a military parade to Americans is from the images of foreign dictators exerting their power and displaying their military prowess.

Trump is parading the military to assert his authority. It’s not a “salute to America,” it’s a salute to himself. Millions of taxpayer dollars will be spent by Trump to stroke his ego and put non-MAGA citizens on notice: attempting to instill fear in those who oppose his authority and question his legitimacy.

This is yet another step away from a democracy and a step toward tyranny. Trump is a false president reigning over a false democracy. He’s being aided and abetted by a defunct Republican Party. Republican members of Congress are unwilling to hold Trump accountable out of their own political self-interest. Some members piggyback on Trump out of opportunism, while others fear losing their congressional seats from a MAGA backlash. One way or the other, they’ve broken their oath of office to protect and defend the constitution.

MAGA supporters call themselves the “silent majority,” but the numbers shows they’re truly just a loud minority. As of July 3, Gallup’s polling data shows Trump’s approval rating at 41%. The majority of Americans (54%) disapprove of Trump’s job as president.

So, on this Independence Day, rational-minded Americans need to meditate on the fact we’re being led by a man who thinks the constitution –the law– doesn’t apply to him. We need to accept the fact there are millions of MAGA supporters who not only find no fault in Trump’s vile and malicious behavior, they relish it. And we need to understand that the right-wing media apparatus is spreading propaganda to millions of MAGA supporters who accept it as fact.

This is not the system of government the founders framed. If Trump is going to defy the other co-equal branches of government without consequence, then we’ve already checked out of our democratic republic and checked into the early stages of a dictatorship.

The future of America’s system of self-governance rests on the shoulders of true patriots who choose liberty over tyranny. Remaining silent, not voting, and not voicing your concern to your elected representatives is the same as casting a vote for Trump. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”

