Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

What is Independence Day, really?

What is Independence Day, really?
Getty Images

Molineaux is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and president/CEO of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

Today, we celebrate Independence Day. Historically, this is the day we credit for our freedom. The facts lay out a march toward freedom that is slower and as-of-yet, unfinished.


The Declaration of Independence, apart from the aspirational opening paragraph, is a list of grievances against the British King and reasoning why the colonies were self-determining their future as free (white, landed) men. The Declaration had been approved by the Continental Congress on July 2; and formally adopted on the 4th of July in 1776, providing the date that would not become a federal holiday until 1941.

Historically, freedom was not granted to all men until June 19, 1865, “Juneteenth,” when the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were notified of their freedom via the Emancipation Proclamation that had been in effect since January 1, 1863. A new “Civic Season” has been introduced these last few years to mark the three weeks between Juneteenth and Independence Day.

Women’s freedom and independence is more complicated and murky. During colonial times, women were not allowed to own property, earn wages or vote. Laws differed from state to state and it was only 50 years ago when women could establish their own credit without a man’s permission. And of course, as a nation, we failed to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) which seems so simple if women are to live fully free and independent. Simply stated, the ERA states, “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” The Supreme Court last year piled onto the complications and murky definition of women’s freedom with their Dobbs decision; women’s control over their own bodies is not absolute. When a woman becomes pregnant, her freedom is curtailed. Body sovereignty is not her right, depending on where she lives.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

And yet, we gather each year with our friends and family members to remember the radical (and flawed) men who pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor so we may be (more) free. We must never forget that our rights are only as valid as our ability to act upon or with our freedom.

During the close of Civic Season today, pledge yourself to be the citizen our nation needs. Vote when you can. Engage consistently with your elected officials. Protest when you must. With freedom comes the responsibility to protect our independence and our freedom for our descendants. Without diligence, we will fall back under the rule of an autocrat.

Read More

The Psychology of Politics

An illustration of people and their unique minds.

Getty Images, Carol Yepes

The Psychology of Politics

Have you ever wondered why so many otherwise reasonable people are completely bananas about politics? We all know plenty of normal and decent folks who spout wacky political views. But it’s not just our neighbors who’ve gone mad. All over the country, Americans pick and choose the facts they want to believe, champion policies they don’t understand, hold contradictory views at the same time, admire immoral politicians, loathe decent ones, and so on.

What’s going on here? And why does it seem to be getting worse?

Keep ReadingShow less
Addressing Economic Inequity Among Domestic Violence Survivors

A person holding a stack of dollar bills that are flying away.

Getty Images, PM Images

Addressing Economic Inequity Among Domestic Violence Survivors

The 2024 film, “Anora,” about a young woman victimized by sex trafficking, recently won five Oscars at the Academy Awards. Perhaps, it is a signal of more awareness and less stigma surrounding the pervasiveness of domestic violence at all levels of society.

The ongoing lawsuits between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni claiming sexual harassment and violence threat allegations around their film, “It Ends With Us,” about a relationship scarred with domestic violence, demonstrates the thin line between real life and on-screen adaptations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Layoffs at the EPA May Impact Federal Funding for Communities

Environmental Protection Agency EPA | Where James works | mccready ...

Layoffs at the EPA May Impact Federal Funding for Communities

WASHINGTON—The federal government laid off more than 60,000 workers in the first two months of 2025, while another 75,000 employees accepted a buyout and voluntarily resigned.

Among those laid off was James Clark, an Environmental Protection Agency employee who lost his job while on his honeymoon. “It’s just very sad to see someone like Elon Musk take a chainsaw on live TV and say what we do doesn’t matter,” said Clark.

Keep ReadingShow less
Congress Avoids a Shutdown But at What Cost?

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Getty Images, Tasos Katopodis

Congress Avoids a Shutdown But at What Cost?

On March 14, the GOP-led Senate passed a stopgap spending bill to keep the federal government running until September 30. The bill’s passage was made possible by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s last-minute reversal—shifting from opposing the measure and advocating for a shorter extension to allowing the bill to advance. His decision was purely tactical: he feared Democrats would be blamed for a shutdown.

Schumer’s move provided the necessary votes to overcome procedural hurdles, effectively thwarting a Democratic filibuster. While Republican support for Trump’s budget was unsurprising, the Democratic leadership’s decision to go along was a stunning concession. It handed the Trump administration a significant victory while further eroding Congress’s budgetary authority, shifting more spending power to the executive branch.

Keep ReadingShow less