Issues in depth

American Values and Culture

Alexis de Tocqueville once said, “liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.” That’s why one of our most urgent tasks is defending America’ culture and values.

Since the founding of our nation, we’ve all agreed on what those values are.

We believe in families. We want homes to be healthy, whole, and happy – a place where children can grow and learn and thrive.

We believe in our fundamental rights. The freedom of religion, the freedom of speech, the right to bear arms – these are the essence of what America means.

And we believe in fostering a culture of unity – creating a country where all people, of all beliefs, of all backgrounds can live side-by-side in harmony, friendship, and peace.

The overwhelming majority of Americans still believe in these things. But liberals, cultural elites, the media, and even big business – they now reject these values. Instead, they’re promoting a new set of values, because they want to destroy our culture and replace it with a new one.

The signs are all around us.

We see it in the extreme embrace of abortion, especially late-term abortion. Liberals, backed by big businesses headquartered in New York and California, now cheer policies that allow for the killing of the unborn up to the moment of birth. Some would even contemplate ending the life of innocent babies after they’re born. They forget – or they ignore – that the right to life is the very first right in the Declaration of Independence.

We see it in the cult of political correctness and attacks on free speech. Instead of respectfully disagreeing with others, liberals now shout down – or even shutdown – their opponents. Whether it’s liberals in Washington, D.C. or liberals in Silicon Valley, the only voices they want to hear are their own, and they’re willing to silence the rest of us to get their way.

We see it in hatred for Christians and believers of all kinds. This country was founded to protect religious freedom, yet too many liberals think religion is only acceptable if they can’t see it. They’re willing to tear down crosses and smash copies of the Ten Commandments in their crusade to get rid of God. Yet they’re insulting millions of American believers and ignoring our country’s unique history.

We see it in the campaign to take guns away from law-abiding citizens. Liberals hate the very idea of the Second Amendment, so they basically pretend it doesn’t exist. Yet the right to keep and bear arms is one of our most important freedoms. If they take it away, the rest of our rights aren’t far behind.

And we see it in the coordinated campaign to turn the entire country into the east and west coasts. The elites, the media, and big business are honest about their desire to turn middle America into California and New York. Yet all they’re really doing is stretching America to the breaking point. If they succeed, we won’t recognize our country anymore. America will look little different from the secular, stagnant, sad nations of Europe. We can’t let that happen – and we won’t let that happen.

Protecting our values and our culture has never been more important. They’re the key to America’s past – and they’re just as essential to America’s future. In the face of liberal attacks on the things we hold dear, we need to say, as one nation and one people:

We’re proud of our values. We’re proud of our culture. And we pledge to stand up and fight for what we believe – because the ideals that made America great will always be worth defending.