A Fourth of July call to reclaim America’s soul

Op-ed views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

This year, Independence Day is for the children.

But not just for fireworks, hot dogs, and apple pie. The Fourth of July should remind us that America’s story, its daring birth, its bold principles, and its unmatched legacy of liberty, were always meant to be passed down from generation to generation. That duty doesn’t begin in Washington or in a classroom. It begins at home. It begins with parents.

The United States of America, once a beacon of liberty, virtue, and divine providence, now finds itself slipping from the hands of those who understand its value. Not because our enemies are stronger, but because our children are growing up unaware of what’s been entrusted to them. And that’s on us.

We’ve outsourced too much. We handed over education to institutions. We assumed schools would pass along the stories of Bunker Hill, Valley Forge, the Declaration, and the Constitution. We trusted the system to form the hearts and minds of our sons and daughters. But the system sold out—trading heritage for ideology, truth for agendas, and wisdom for profit. The system began producing somnambulant sycophants who moved at the sound of a bell, never questioned authority, and began looking to government to solve all their problems, despite Ronald Reagan’s famous warning.

America didn’t happen by accident. It was the result of strong families, virtuous leaders, and parents who taught their children to fear God, to love truth, and to sacrifice for something greater than themselves. And while public schools initially convened to train the populous in Biblical morality, they’ve been in a death spiral for the past several decades because they recklessly abandoned their initial mandate.

The founding generation knew this: without virtue at home, liberty cannot survive in the nation.

The answer isn’t just education reform. It’s parenting reform. It’s time to Make Parenting Great Again.

Our Founders weren’t perfect, but they were principled. They believed in God-given rights and responsibilities. They knew freedom wasn’t inherited automatically. It had to be taught, earned, and protected.

Where is that kind of parenting today? Too many of today’s children know more about identity politics than American principles. They’ve heard every buzzword from TikTok and none from the Bible. They can spot a microaggression but can’t explain why July 4th matters.

It’s a vicious cycle. Schools pretend they have authority (without responsibility), so parents step away, ceding both academic and all other instruction. Big business and big government are happy to step in where parents have stepped out. But this isn’t just a fight for curriculum. It’s a fight for the soul of our homes. Schools aren’t cutting it. The US is 40^th in the world. The schools are fighting to teach more sex and less history, and the fabric of our culture is unravelling.

Parenting is the frontline of patriotism.

We need fathers who lead and mothers who instruct—not with fear, but with confidence rooted in history, faith, and virtue. We need kitchen-table conversations about Washington’s humility, Lincoln’s courage, Tubman’s bravery, and the miracle of 1776. We need parents reading the Bible with their children, not because it’s old-fashioned, but because it’s eternally true.

Teddy Roosevelt once said, “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.” That wasn’t just moral advice—it was patriotic wisdom.

Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice put a target on the backs of any parents who spoke out at school board meetings in defense of their children. Many of these “domestic terrorists” are seeking restitution for harms done to them. But so many more were cowed into silent submission as overzealous authorities perp-walked the concerned, invested parents out of the buildings and persecuted them relentlessly in the press and in the courts.

If we want to recapture the American spirit, parents must reclaim their role as the first educators. That doesn’t necessarily mean homeschooling (though it’s the right answer for many families). It means fighting for your child’s soul and mind like General Washington fought for the Republic. It means being present, involved, and influential. It means being purposeful and showing up, even if it ruffles some school board feathers. Heck, parents should comprise all school boards, as they’re the ones with the most to lose.

So this Independence Day, don’t just grill burgers and watch the fireworks. Gather your children and tell them the story. Tell them about the “invisible hand of providence” that guided a ragtag group of colonists to defeat the greatest empire on Earth. Recount the stories of the men who lived with purpose, honor, and dedication to create the greatest contribution to the world in human history. Teach them about liberty – not as a gift, but as a duty. Pass on the truth that freedom is fragile, and that they, too, must be ready to defend it.

We are not powerless. In fact, we have the most powerful tool of all: the family. If we raise our children to know their history, to live with virtue, to love truth, and to honor God, there is no force on Earth that can stop the rebirth of this nation.

This is our moment to Make Parenting Great Again. Let’s reclaim our homes, retell our stories, and rebuild our future—one child at a time.

Happy Independence Day, America.

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