Newsletter – July 4, 2025

Civics in Action: Knowing is Half the Battle

Here at Kentucky Citizens for Democracy, we believe an informed citizenry is an empowered citizenry. Those following our newsletter are familiar with our “Keeping it Constitutional” series of articles where we endeavor to recenter our political discourse in our democratic principles by revisiting core concepts that guided the writing of our Constitution and laid the foundational framework for our government, laws, and system of checks and balances. Now that the newsletter has changed from being released weekly to every other week, the Educate committee asked ourselves: “What do we do on the off week to continue empowering our members?”

“Civics in Action” is the answer. Through this mini off-week newsletter, we will continue the parallel series of articles “Keeping it Constitutional” and “Keeping it Current” as we seek to continue to revisit the foundational principles embodied in our Constitution and apply them to the current political landscape. For our inaugural edition, and in recognition of Independence Day, Eric Ruppel has prepared a special article on the Declaration of Independence.

We are also introducing “From Constituent to Candidate.” These articles will build on each other to highlight the importance of local and state government in the actual everyday lives of citizens as compared to the national level politics that fills our newsfeeds. They will also help break down the often confounding web of regulations and requirements surrounding running for office to empower any of us to take that leap into public service.

Welcome to “Civics in Action: Knowing is Half the Battle.” You can expect the same deeply researched, factual and non-partisan approach to these articles as you have become accustomed to in our other series.

Keeping it Constitutional – Special July 4th Edition

Declaring Our Purpose: A Civic Reflection on Independence

By: Eric Ruppel

This article is a special edition within a series exploring the U.S. Constitution and other founding documents, from their foundations and original debates to their application and evolution in modern society. To read our first piece about the purpose of government through the lens of the Preamble, check it out. To learn more about Congress, “the People’s branch”, click here. The Presidency is examined via Article II here. Stay tuned for pieces on the Judiciary, the Bill of Rights, and more.

Why Revisit the Declaration of Independence?

Every July we set off fireworks in neighborhoods across America to celebrate our freedom, but between all the burgers and sparklers, it is easy to overlook the courage it took to declare independence from Britain, the values enshrined in our foundation, and how much this Declaration shaped our modern government. It is much more than just a dusty old historic document; it still has meaning for us in civic life and we should take another look at it.

First, The Declaration is broken into four parts: to begin, a Preamble introduces the philosophical principles of independence. Second, the Continental Congress wrote a summary of “natural rights” that includes the famous phrase, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Once they established these rights, Thomas Jefferson and his team provided a list of twenty-seven grievances against King George, alleging that he had irreparably injured the people of the American colonies. The final paragraph then conclusively declares independence from the Crown.

There are no minced words here; these writers understood that in both broad and specific ways, this king had abused both them, and his power. The grievances listed in 1776 include legislative obstruction, judicial manipulation, military imposition, the violation of laws and political representation, economic exploitation, numerous warlike acts, and a failure to address multiple petitions – instead heaping on “repeated injury.”

The Role of Government – According to Jefferson

As we established in our piece about Article I, our federal government only has the powers granted to it by the people, through the Constitution. This idea was hinted at in the Declaration of Independence: “to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” In an era when kings believed they were given broad and exclusive power directly from God himself, this was a radical notion – and we still benefit from their foresight today.

We also recently covered the roles and goals of our federal government using the lens of the Preamble. As the lead author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote that “when a long train of abuses and usurpations … evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government.” Simplified: if a government becomes tyrannical, citizens must reject it.

But the colonists did not go immediately from abuse to independence. The Declaration makes it clear that the pressure mounted over time as King George tightened the screws on his colonial subjects and their American leaders lodged repeated complaints that went ignored. Independence came about slowly and methodically, the result of thousands of small acts over the course of years. Ultimately, this is why things like public peaceful protest, calling your legislators, and other civic actions are incredibly important. It is our responsibility to ensure that those in power hear our voices and concerns, especially when we want to make the case that change is needed.

A Civic Reading in 2025

It’s hard to overlook words sometimes, and perhaps the most glaring words from 1776 are “all men.” Those rights were not always universal even among men, let alone extended to women. Now, almost 250 years later, we have seen decades come and go that freed the slaves, gave women and people of color the right to vote, and more – but we still have room to grow before we realize a future where all people are guaranteed equal rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness in all areas of life.

Among our fellow humans, there are still more grievances to understand today, some of which are older than the Declaration itself. Even though we don’t always need to respond to every single issue, platform, and social media post, it is nonetheless important that we keep wrestling with these truths. Not every grievance requires a revolution, but we should ultimately pursue resolution in keeping with what Lincoln called the “better angels of our nature.” As Americans, we do still hope to uphold these values for all people, and there are still many left hoping that tomorrow will bring them closer to that reality.

Civic Power in a Polarized Age

July 4th is more than a celebration. It is a recommitment to the ideals of justice, equality, and a government that is answerable to the Constitution that created it. It is an acknowledgment that our freedoms were hard-won by those who were willing to challenge a powerful king when he overstepped his authority. It is a rededication of the values of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

You citizens were not only born or naturalized into this legacy; you were endowed with this responsibility.

So maybe even try a little experiment this Fourth of July. If you can find 8 to 10 minutes of free time, as awkward as it may feel, read it out loud (or you can listen to a reading of it on our YouTube page). Pretend it’s a public speech, and that King George is sitting in the audience. Imagine the weight of the moment as free, democratically-minded people considered what they would create if they were given the right to govern themselves and determine their own future. Imagine the weight of all that was still unclear and yet to be decided – from states’ rights to the practice of slavery to the three branches of federal power to taxation and central banks and beyond. Imagine again the weight of this gathering in July 1776, fully knowing their losses in battles over the prior year and the deadly struggle that would result from their signatures.

In the face of that great weight, they hoped. They hoped they would prevail on the battlefield. They hoped that following that, despite their substantial differences, they could confer, listen, and agree to bring about monumental and lasting change. They hoped they could establish an enduring freedom for themselves and for all who came after in times of peace. Imagine the fervent blend of both anxiety and hope that must have been present in the Philadelphia state house in the summer 1776.

Let’s all take a few minutes today and rededicate ourselves to the ideals that founded this country and recapture a little bit of that flame. Wherever you find yourself on July 4th, remember that these freedoms are for you, your neighbors, and all who come after us. If it feels like we are still a long way off, it means there is still work to do. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media to get regular updates on how you can step up at this moment in history.

Please note: We at KYCfD are not lawyers or legal scholars — we are average citizens trying to lean on and reclaim the founding truths in our country in a tumultuous time. Please comment on our social media posts or send us a message if you find inaccuracies in our newsletter or want to provide additional insights. We will issue corrections and clarifications as often as we need to! We will continue to publish pieces that outline key elements of our Constitution in each newsletter, so be sure to follow KCfD on Facebook and at www.kycitizens.org!

From Constituent to Candidate – Part 1

The Invisible Power of Local Government

By: Rhett Hill

When most people think about government, their minds go straight to Washington, D.C. — Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court. But in reality, the decisions that shape your daily life rarely come from Capitol Hill. They come from much closer to home.

Local government is the most overlooked yet most powerful layer of democracy in your life. From the schools your children attend to the safety of the water you drink, local officials decide what happens in your community.

Local government controls:

The curriculum taught in your public schools
The zoning laws that determine what gets built near your home
The funding for your police, fire, and emergency services
The safety of your water supply
The parks, libraries, and public spaces that enrich your neighborhood

These decisions aren’t made by far-off federal officials — they happen in city halls, county buildings, and school board meetings just down the street.

One Local Seat That Changed Everything

In 2013, Eric Mays, a community activist, won a seat on the Flint City Council — a position much like a district council seat where you live. His was a single voice in a small room, but that voice made all the difference.

A year later, Flint switched its water supply from Detroit to the Flint River, a move pushed by a state-appointed emergency manager aiming to cut costs. Almost immediately, residents noticed something was wrong. Their water smelled and looked foul.

Mays was the first elected official to publicly demand answers. He called for investigations, organized public meetings, and amplified the voices of residents suffering from rashes, illness, and fear. Even when removed from meetings for speaking out, he kept going.

His persistence helped spark state and federal investigations, criminal charges against officials, and billions of dollars in recovery aid. What began with one local seat and one determined voice became a national reckoning over environmental injustice — and a reminder of the stakes of local government.

Why This Matters

You don’t need to sit in Congress or the governor’s office to change your community. One local leader can make an enormous impact — and your vote decides who holds those local seats.

When you think about where to focus your energy as a voter, advocate, or future candidate, remember: local government decisions hit your life faster and harder than anything that happens in Washington.

Take Your First Step

➡ Look up who represents you right now at the city, county, and school board level.
➡ Find out when their next public meeting is — and consider attending, in person or online.

Reflection Prompt

Who decides what’s built in your neighborhood? Who oversees your schools, water, and safety? What do you know about them — and how will you learn more?

Coming Soon — Don’t Miss It!

In two weeks, we’ll be back with Lesson 2: Local vs. Federal — Who Really Shows Up First?
Discover why local government is your community’s true first responder — and how that makes your local vote more powerful than you might think.

➡ Subscribe to our newsletter, join our group on Facebook, or bookmark the site so you won’t miss your next nugget of government wisdom. Your community’s future starts here.

Posted

July 5, 2025

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