The American Emulsion: Order, Equality, and Freedom; Or, The Virtue of a Nation-State Not Made by Purity of Religion, Race, Heritage,...
Gregg Zegarelli Esq.
Managing Shareholder at Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Group, PC
Some nation-states are made by purity of one religion. Some nation-states are made by purity of one genetic race. Some nation-states are made by purity of titled heritage.
But not the United States of America.
The virtue of the United States of America—America the Beautiful—the America for which we give thanks—is in the purity of its philosophy; to wit: the integration of diverse, free and free-thinking people for the pursuit of happy lives.
The term "happiness," as used by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence is the philosophical apex of life itself. By today's parlance, "happy" sounds glib, but not for this political-philosophical purpose. Properly considered, thinking about achieving a happy life should induce us to tears.
If the United States of America has philosophical Cardinal Virtues, we might find that they are Order, Freedom, and Equality. For this specific purpose, Justice is necessarily implied. [1, 2]
Nation-states that try to constrain themselves to separatist purity of religion, genetic race, or titled heritage, as a few examples, tend to fail—sooner or later. Of course, to be politico-scientifically statistically fair, it might be said that, historically speaking, nation-states tend to fail irrespective of the manner so-conceived and so-dedicated. People continue to be people. [3, 3.b]
Now, we've heard this term, "The American Experiment," which implies a test, with the ultimate result of the test being unsure, by definition. At the signing of the United States Constitution, Dr. Benjamin Franklin said:
[S]ir, I agree to this Constitution...because I think a general Government necessary for us, and there is no form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered...
And, when he emerged from the Constitutional Convention, a Mrs. Powel anxiously asked him: "Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?," with Dr. Franklin responding:
A republic, if you can keep it.
[4, 5] Now, for the non-lawyers in the room, in both of the above quotations, we find that one word that makes all the difference; behold: "if." The biggest little word in the world. [6, 7]
Thusly, the American Experiment is a test of administering a group of diverse, free and free-thinking people with unity of purpose, but without requiring uniformity, as Thomas Jefferson said, "[I]s uniformity of opinion desirable? No more than of face and stature. Introduce the bed of molds then, and as there is danger that the large men may beat the small, make us all of a size, by lopping the former and stretching the latter." [8]
Orderly and peacefully administering a group of diverse, free and free-thinking people equally and with unity of purpose, but without requiring uniformity.
Not an easy task. The American Way; to wit: Unity without uniformity.
Indeed, to apply a Jesusian principle to a socio-political framework:
To what credit is it for the ordered administration of people who are similar? There is no credit in that. The credit is in the ordered administration of people who are different—fundamentally different in body, mind, and spirit. [9, 10]
Indeed, this is the credit—the thankful virtue—if not the test—of the United States of America. That is, the maintained and sustained orderly administration of a diverse, free and free-thinking people treated equally before the law.
We can be thankful for flags, and fields, and green pastures. We can revere all sorts of symbols, but they all point to the substance of the maintained and sustained orderly administration of a diverse, free and free-thinking people treated equally before the law. Justice for all. Not some, but all. This is the substantive target—the primary objective.
And let us continue to consider these American Cardinal Virtues of Order, Equality, and Freedom. Carefully considered, these American Virtues themselves do not naturally blend. They exist together by emulsion.
Now, for the non-scientists in the room, an emulsion is a type of mixture made by combining two or more liquids that don't mix under normal circumstances.
An emulsion is what we get when we agitate (shake up) our oil and vinegar in our salad dressing bottle. The two separate liquids intermix into a new emulsified substance, artificially unified as such. As much as we might fondly hope and fervently pray that the oil and vinegar would just be naturally attracted to each other [11], the tendencies understood by experience suggest it just won't happen any time soon. [12.a, 12.b]
Emulsification suggests that the diverse elements naturally want to keep separating to obtain their pure form and to re-group separately. [13]
In the United States of America, not only is there the emulsification of diverse American people of races, colors, creeds and other orientations, but also the emulsification of contradictory applied American Cardinal Virtues of Order, Equality and Freedom. The American Cardinal Virtues achieve Justice because each virtue acts in the tempering of the others; to wit: [14]
Order contradicts freedom, because the constraint to order restricts freedom. Equality contradicts order, because order sets priorities for contexts. Freedom contradicts order and equality, because freedom otherwise refuses to adhere to any constraint, particularly in a capitalistic economic system that not only allows for luck, but also rewards and punishes effort or lack thereof.
In the United States of America—a republic of laws governing men—the Constitution is the emulsifier, binding diverse people, diverse virtues, diverse cultures, diverse pretty much everything.
Thusly, the United States of America is not so much a melting pot, as it is an emulsification.
In Plessy v. Ferguson, being Justice Harlan's dissent at the time, we find all the majesty that is the United States of America; to wit:
[I]n view of the Constitution, in the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. There is no caste here. Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law.
The humblest is the peer of the most powerful. The law regards man as man...
[15] "The law regards man as man." It does not get any better than that.
In trying to find their souls, some men lose their minds...and their hearts.
Some nation-states are made by purity of one religion. Some nation-states are made by purity of one genetic race. Some nation-states are made by purity of titled heritage. But not the United States of America.
Recommended by LinkedIn
And, in appreciating this fact, we give thanks.
[4] In Memoriam: Benjamin Franklin Speaking of the Builders of Babel - Abridgement Series [#GRZ_135]
[10] ONE®: The LinkedIn Reference Set [#GRZ_183] 10.1 ONE: 537 [L6:32] ("Love Enemies")
"'Si' est maximum parvum verbum in hoc mundo." ("'If' is the biggest little word in the world."); "Unitas sine uniformitate." ("Unity without uniformity."); "Conantes invenire animas, quidam mentes amittunt...et cor suum." ("In trying to find their souls, some men lose their minds...and their hearts.") ~ grz
MY friend, the things that do attain The happy life be these, I find:
The riches left, not got with pain; The fruitful ground; the quiet mind;
The equal friend; no grudge; no strife; No charge of rule, nor governance; Without disease, the healthy life; The household of continuance;
The mean diet, no dainty fare; Wisdom joined with simpleness; The night discharged of all care, Where wine the wit may not oppress:
The faithful wife, without debate; Such sleeps as may beguile the night; Content thyself with thine estate, Neither wish death, nor fear his might.
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, 1517 – 1547
* Gregg Zegarelli, Esq., earned both his Bachelor of Arts Degree and his Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His dual major areas of study were History from the College of Liberal Arts and Accounting from the Business School (qualified to sit for the CPA examination), with dual minors in Philosophy and Political Science. He has enjoyed Adjunct Professorships in the Duquesne University Graduate Leadership Master Degree Program (The Leader as Entrepreneur; Developing Leadership Character Through Adversity) and the University of Pittsburgh Law School (The Anatomy of a Deal). He is admitted to various courts throughout the United States of America.
Gregg Zegarelli, Esq., is Managing Shareholder of Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Group, PC. Gregg is nationally rated as "superb" and has more than 35 years of experience working with entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes, including startups, INC. 500, and publicly traded companies. He is author of One: The Unified Gospel of Jesus, and The Business of Aesop™ article series, and co-author with his father, Arnold Zegarelli, of The Essential Aesop: For Business, Managers, Writers and Professional Speakers. Gregg is a frequent lecturer, speaker and faculty for a variety of educational and other institutions.
© 2023 Gregg Zegarelli, Esq. Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn.
The statements or opinions made in this article are solely the author's own and not representative of any institution regarding which the author is affiliated.
Stand for America® is a series of publications written by Gregg Zegarelli intersecting philosophy and traditional American values published by Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Group. Printed or reprinted with permission.
#GreggZegarelli #Thanksgiving #TheAmericanEmulsion #OilVinegar #MeltingPot #ThomasJefferson #StandForAmerica #BenjaminFranklin #Emulsion #DeclarationOfIndependence #Emulsification #Surfractant #AmericanCardinalVirtues #Wisdom #Zegarelli #GRZ_168
TEV Law Group. Legal services for American entrepreneurs: Stand for America®
We Represent the Entrepreneurial Spirit.®
The beauty of emulsion, in both culinary and societal contexts, reminds us of the strength found in diversity. Maya Angelou once said - We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter their color. 🌍💫 Let's embrace our differences to create a unified and vibrant society. #UnityInDiversity #StrengthInDifferences 🕊✨