Celebrating Independence Day with the Three Great Boxes of the United States (Opinion)

As we find ourselves upon another Independence Day, celebrating our country’s July 4, 1776 birthday through fireworks and cookouts, let’s not forget the three great boxes upon which this country was built, the great boxes which keep our government accountable and our country free. Those great boxes are the soap box, the ballot box, and the cartridge box.

The Soap Box

Freedom of speech, or the right to stand on a public street corner on a soap box and speak or preach about a topic important to you, is the first right protected in the Bill of Rights.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This most sacred right is the foundation upon which this news media outlet, and every other news media outlet across the country, should hold most dear. Without this protection provided by the Bill of Rights, we would not be able to report on current events, express political opinions, or even write this very article. The soap box is indeed the foundation upon which every newspaper, website, radio station, or TV channel is built.

But more importantly, the soap box stands as a force for change. Petitioning the government for a redress of grievances is not included by accident – it protects criticism of government and government officials from prosecution. It is the first step in changing our country and community for the better, by pointing out flaws and possible improvements, in order to effect positive change. In an ideal world, the soap box would be the only box we would ever need, because the government would strive to always have our best interests in mind in policy making. Sadly, that is not always the case, and often times when challenged, government officials choose not to redress grievances, but instead attack those who would criticize them.

The Ballot Box

The ballot box should be the second effort to resolve problems in government. Established with Article I of the constitution, the ballot box seeks to ensure proper representation in government. When a government fails to function properly, elected officials must be held accountable and replaced with officials who will represent the best interests of the people. However, the ballot box has unfortunately a checkered history of not providing equal access to all. In fact, only in the past approximately 50 years of our great country’s almost 250 years of existence have all 18 year old adults been able to vote.

• The 15th Amendment gave African American men the right to vote in 1870. But many weren’t able to exercise this right. Some states used literacy tests and other barriers to make it harder to vote.
• The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave American women the right to vote.
• The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, eliminated poll taxes. The tax had been used in some states to keep African Americans from voting in federal elections.
• The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age for all elections to 18.

Unfortunately, despite this broad access to voting rights, many citizens do not take advantage of this right. While it is encouraging that recent trends show increased voter participation, such as a record-setting 66% voter turnout in the 2020 presidential election, much more is needed, especially at local levels. For example, in the recent Town of Smithsburg council elections, only 160 voters showed up at the polls. With approximately 2,000 residents of voting age in Smithsburg, approximately 8% of the town’s population decided the future of town’s government.

The Cartridge Box

The cartridge box, or the right to bear arms, is cemented in the second amendment of the Bill of Rights. It should be only used as a last resort, when all other attempts have failed for government reform.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

The cartridge box was the last resort used in 1776 to establish our country, and liberate it from the British. We chose to establish a republic, with an elected government instead of a monarchy. This grand experiment in democracy has lasted for almost 250 years, thanks to the cartridge box.

I won’t get into all of the problems with gun control efforts and their potential to infringe on the right to bear arms, as that would be another entire opinion article in itself. I will however mention another important date in history related to the cartridge box.

July 3, 1863, exactly 161 years ago today, was part of the last time we saw the cartridge box used by our government against our government, to liberate this country. In this case, the cartridge box was used from 1861 to 1865 to ensure the freedom of all, as well as keep our country together. How different our country might be, had the efforts to keep the country whole failed. But thank God, our country endured, and all people in the country regardless of race, gender, or religion, are now free.

Let us hope that we never need to use the cartridge box again to keep the country whole and ensure liberty.

The Fourth Box – The Jury Box

There is of course a fourth box in the original concept outlined by Stephen Decatur Miller, William F. Butler, and Frederick Douglass, the jury box. This box is only protected by the other three, and should these three boxes fail, then justice shall also surely fail as well. Only through fair and impartial juries can people be held accountable for their crimes, especially if those crimes infringe upon the other three boxes. When it comes to government accountability, it is my hope that the jury box is only used when the soap box and ballot box fail. While it is important that elected officials are held to answer for any crimes they commit, it is much more important that reform of government protect the liberties which we so cherish. However, since the courts are typically closed on July 4th, I don’t believe it would be quite possible to celebrate Independence Day through the jury box. Please, don’t do anything on Independence Day which might result in your facing a jury box.

Closing Thoughts

As you enjoy your cookouts, your fireworks, and other festivities, remember these boxes upon which our country has been built. For me, I hold all three of these boxes of great importance, and will always work to protect them through my work here with Radio Free Hub City.

Opinion article by Ken Buckler, President and Editor. All opinions are his own, and do not reflect those of our sponsors or clients.

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