CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

This July Fourth Celebrate the Idea That the People are Supposed to be in Charge

The Boston Tea Party.–Destruction of the Tea in Boston Harbor, December 16, 1773, from the magazine Ballou’s Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion, July 16, 1856. (Yale University Art Gallery.)

Two hundred fifty years ago, Americans rejected monarchy. They rejected the idea that power should rest in the hands of one person, one family, or a distant ruling class. Instead, they enshrined an American promise: legitimate power comes from the people.

Our Constitution opens with three words: “We the People.” As the country marks its 250th anniversary, that promise is worth remembering: in America, the people are supposed to be in charge.

Indeed, every day we see neighbors working together to improve their lives, their communities, and the country.

Earlier this year, hundreds of residents of San Marcos, Texas, packed into public meetings with concerns about a new data center. The Caldwell/Hays Examiner, a local paper, summarized the sentiment: “Electricity bills may soon spike while access to clean water........

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