Staff Reports
Plenty of columnists are asking what the Founding Fathers would say if they could see America now. That question has become more than nostalgia. It is the headline of a fight over how we mark the nation’s Semiquincentennial — and who gets to tell the story of 1776 to a new generation.
Polls, the Founders and today’s mood
Here’s the data that kicked this whole debate into high gear: roughly 77% of Americans say the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be disappointed in the country today. That number is why so many op‑eds — the “what would they think?” pieces — are popping up. The poll gives those essays a shrine of legitimacy, and it explains why the Founders are being dragged into today’s politics as if they were guest stars on a late‑night cable special.
America250 vs. Freedom 250: Two anniversaries, two messages
We now have two competing plans to celebrate the 250th. America250 is the congressionally authorized, nonpartisan effort meant to organize nationwide events. Then there’s Freedom 250, the White House‑backed Task Force led publicly by Freedom 250 CEO Keith Krach and promoted by President Donald Trump. That split is not academic. It turns a year meant for unity into a contest over access, messaging and who gets top billing on the National Mall.
Artists, funding questions, and a very public mess
The fight has real fallout. A number of artists quietly walked away from Freedom 250 events after the White House link became clear. Lawmakers, including Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, have raised concerns about funding and whether federal or private support is being steered toward partisan programming. And if symbolism matters, consider the practical: organizers left a multi‑gallon fuel spill on the National Mall after a Freedom 250 activation. For a celebration about saving a republic, the handling of this one felt more like a county fair run by people who skipped logistics class.
Keep the Semiquincentennial about America — not a political sideshow
All this should make conservatives and patriots pause. The Founders fought to build a country that could survive its own passions. Letting the 250th become a partisan branding exercise would be a cheap trick on their memory. If the public wants to read lessons from 1776, the lesson is plain: put country above campaign. The anniversary can still be a moment to teach civic pride, not stage a political rally. The Founders would probably sigh, and then roll up their sleeves — which is what we ought to do next.
