What are the four lies on the 4th of July?
For many, it’s obvious. Washington, D.C., has no constitutional right to ban cannabis. States have recognized this and legalized it within their borders.
But they still lack access to banking and other advantages of federal approval.
Cannabis is just the tip of the iceberg. So what are the other four lies on the 4th of July?
Four Lies on the 4th of July
#4 – “No Taxation without Representation.”
We’ve all heard this 4th of July lie before. It’s the standard textbook reason for American independence from Britain.
But this claim is reductionist nonsense. Like people who say raw honey is bad for you because it’s “sugar.”
The American colonists believed in no legislation without representation. The American colonists believed they had the same right to self-government as Englishmen who stayed in Great Britain.
During the first session of Congress in 1789, the ratio of voters to a congressman was 60,000 to 1. By 2021, the average number of constituents a member of Congress represents was 761,000.
Additionally, the Supreme Court has grown from the final arbitrator on constitutional matters to judicial activism. They are essentially unelected nine “high priests” legislating from the bench.
“No taxation without representation” is a 4th of July lie. The correct term is no legislation without representation. But of course, if Americans knew that, they’d realize that these “long train of abuses and usurpations” justify civil disobedience.
#3 – “One Nation, Indivisible”
Is there a bigger lie on the 4th of July than “One Nation, Indivisible?”
This well-known quote comes from the Pledge of Allegiance. The full quote is:
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Few know that a 19th-century socialist wrote the Pledge of Allegiance. Later, during the Cold War, it became popular as a propaganda tactic.
But the very idea of pledging allegiance to an “indivisible” nation goes against everything the Founders stood for.
The American colonists believed states formed the federal government. And that states could withdraw from the federal government if they so choose.
Ironically, Canada respects principle more than America, with a robust and popular Quebec separatist political party. Meanwhile, Alaska’s Supreme Court considers any attempt at succession illegal.
Four Lies on the 4th of July
#2 – Constitutional Flexibility
Constitutional flexibility is just one of many lies on the 4th of July.
Somewhere over the course of American history, the idea of a “living, breathing” Constitution came into fashion. The idea is that the Constitution should change and progress over time.
But if politicians altered constitutions as they saw fit, then it wouldn’t really be a constitution, would it?
The Founders codified customary practices from the (unwritten) British constitution. There was a general sense that British Parliament could only legislate in particular areas.
The American Founders realized it’d be better to write these restrictions down. But, as we’ve learned, whether you write it down doesn’t change the fact that the state will do what it wants.
#1 – Cannabis Prohibition
Of all the lies on the 4th of July, the idea that legal cannabis is in the hands of an 80-year-old senile President goes against everything American independence stands for.
Americans who support Biden and celebrate this holiday are merely cosplaying as Americans.
The 10th Amendment gives States the authority to regulate cannabis. The rationale behind federal prohibition is the “Commerce Clause.”
The Clause reads: [Congress shall have Power] To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian tribes;
Beginning in the 20th century, the judicial activism of the Supreme Court interpreted the Commerce Clause to give the federal government complete control of the country.
But using the Commerce Clause in this way is antithetical to American independence. It is a lie on the 4th of July.
Just one of many.