As Thomas Paine wrote not long after the first commemoration of Independence Day, Everyday Americans intuitively understand that, 'Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.'

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When you’re 234 years old, every birthday is cause for celebration.  And while it’s true that the national unemployment rate is holding steady at 10%, and no credible solution to stopping the Gulf Oil Spill is available yet, those Americans who meet every day with a calm conviction that theirs is a country worth defending have good reason to be proud this Independence Day.  In fact, the time has come for the millions of persevering Americans to demand change from Washington, D.C. – not just in how the Beltway crowd treats their fellow citizens, but the way they speak to them as well. 

With the July 4 weekend fast approaching, many politicians in both parties will succumb to the temptation to address their fellow Americans as “ordinary” or “average” in speeches around the country.  But if the terms are meant to convey something positive about most American citizens, they fall flat.  After all, who wants to be labeled a “C” level patriot?  For that matter, who would consider it a compliment to be called an “ordinary” father, or an “average” friend? 

If political leaders truly want to connect with the real people that make this country great, there is a far better way to refer to them: Everyday Americans. 

For starters, let’s define what an Everyday American is not.  She is not average, nor is she ordinary.  Those are descriptions better suited for statistical constructs of faceless groups; not flesh and blood individuals. 

An Everyday American also doesn’t blindly support a government with an unthinking slogan like “my country, right or wrong.”  Since it’s his country, he’ll work to fix what’s wrong.  If there is a policy that incentivizes bad behavior, or a social ill that should be challenged, he’ll reform it, or if necessary, end it. 

Most importantly, an Everyday American doesn’t support the nation’s institutions only when his party is in power.  To do so would deny the very quality that defines an Every-day American: the courage to be consistent in the face of political upheaval.  Everyday Americans understand that while politics is a cyclical game with winners and losers, our national experiment in self-government is a project demanding success.  Failure would be catastrophic because it would signal that free people can’t be trusted to govern themselves. 

Now, let’s consider who these people are.  As Thomas Paine wrote not long after the first commemoration of Independence Day, Everyday Americans intuitively understand that, “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” 

It takes a persevering faith to bear the burdens of freedom.  That’s why Everyday Americans get up every day to raise families, work jobs and contribute to society in countless ways not contemplated in the federal tax code.  They don’t need a tax break to do what is right; though lower taxes would increase their ability to do more good works.  They sacrifice their paychecks and some of their dreams for the good of others; be they children, parents, neighbors or strangers. 

But their faith comes from more than an accrued habit for loyalty.  The deeper motivation to be faithful to their country comes from a persevering belief that America is at its core a special place, founded on great ideas.  Some of those include the idea that government exists to secure the blessings of liberty; that all men are created equal, and that certain rights are so important that they cannot be separated from the person endowed with them.  Unlike the confusion propagated by the liberal intelligentsia, to Everyday Americans notions like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are near, dear and clear. 

So, on this Fourth of July take a moment to celebrate not just those who’ve gone before; but those who continue to make America a special, grace-filled country, every day of the year.