by Chris L. Kenny
In times of dissent, the greatest revolutions are born. There is no better example than the United States of America. America’s signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776 marked a culmination of thousands of years of philosophy and political thought championing liberty and freedom. As we celebrate our nation’s independence, it is worth looking back at the foundational principles that guide our nation, and how they are as relevant today as they were when the Founding Fathers enshrined them into our system of government. I am Chris L. Kenny, and this is the first installment of the Founder’s Folio, my personal contribution to Delaware Live. As founder of Delaware Live, this column affords me the opportunity to explain to you, our readers, how I interpret our mission as a media outlet in Delaware. The Founder’s Folio editorial will offer my thoughts and reactions to topics of interest in Delaware with historical context. As the famous adage goes, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Let’s begin with the United States of America’s most famous documents: The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and its amendments the Bill of Rights. Crafted by the Founding Fathers, these writings serve as the guiding light and influences our country’s governance principals. Naturally, reflecting on the philosophy that informed their writings and vision for the United States of America is an exercise worthy review, as we continue to progress our modern society and deal with modern issues. Our continued focus on core American principles is a collective affirmation of freedom itself.
Our nation’s core principle of individual liberty under a sovereign nation free from authoritarian rule can be traced back thousands of years. One such reference point is the Roman senator Cato the Younger. Known for his stubbornness, moral integrity and crusade against political corruption, Cato’s advocacy for Republicanism values would be the primary influence for Cato’s Letters written nearly 2000 years later by two British writers in the early 1700s. Distributed across the Thirteen Colonies, Cato’s Letters warned against corruption and abuse of power by the British government. These letters provided much of the inspiration and core ideals behind the American Revolution.
Before social media, before the internet, and even before newspapers, circulations like Cato’s Letters provided the backbone for an informed Republic. Keeping the republic informed and ensuring that the press is free to question its government is paramount to a free society. When the Founding Fathers took these ideologies of liberty and freedom from oppression and codified them into our Constitution, the principles of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press were enshrined into the fabric of our society.
Maintaining an informed republic is critical as we collectively participate in deciding the direction of our communities, and that is one reason why I founded Delaware Live. Providing balanced, sourced and nuanced perspectives on the greatest issues affecting our state and our communities is not only our goal as a media outlet in Delaware, but it is our way of contributing to the great American ideals of liberty, freedom and independence. For too long our local communities in Delaware have been underserved with regards to their news. Out-of-state, corporate-led media conglomerates should not be dictating the direction of our local news. Local media with politically-driven agendas should not hold domain over the many varied voices in our state.
We at Delaware Live are doing our part: your local news delivered by your local news media Delaware Live.
Happy Independence Day, Delaware.