Wake Up America

There are moments in politics when the celebration after an election tells us far more than the election itself. Tuesday night in New York was one of those moments. As Democrat primary results came in cheers on the street were for the Democrat Socialists of America who led by their Socialist mayor Mondami were taking on the establishment Democrat machine. As the victories mounted, the streets filled with jubilant supporters chanting, "DSA! DSA! DSA!" Those three letters were more than a slogan. They were a declaration that the movement believes its long march from the political fringe to the center of power is nearly complete.

That celebration should concern every American, regardless of political party. The significance of Tuesday's primaries was not simply who won or who lost. It was what the winners believed they had accomplished. They were not celebrating another election cycle. They were celebrating what they see as the defeat of the Democrat establishment itself. In their minds, the old Democratic Party-the party of Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, and even Bill Clinton-is giving way to a party shaped by democratic socialists and the progressive left. Whether one is a Republican, an independent, or a Democrat, that is a profound development because one of America's two major political parties influences the direction of the entire nation.

For years, many Americans dismissed warnings that the Democrat Socialists of America and the progressive movement were steadily gaining control inside the Democrat Party. We were told they were simply activists on the fringe, loud on social media but insignificant at the ballot box. Tuesday's celebrations suggested something very different. The people chanting "DSA! DSA! DSA!" were not acting like outsiders begging to be heard. They were celebrating like a movement convinced it had become the dominant force inside a major American political party. Their excitement was rooted in the belief that moderation had been defeated and that the future now belongs to them.

Ronald Reagan warned the nation that "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction." Those words were not intended to frighten Americans. They were intended to remind us that liberty survives only when each generation understands why it matters. Freedom is not inherited automatically. It is learned, defended, and preserved. Reagan understood that America would not lose its character because of an invading army. It would lose it only if Americans gradually abandoned the principles that made the country exceptional.

Those principles are worth remembering as our nation approaches its 250th birthday. The United States did not become the most prosperous nation in history because government grew larger and more powerful. America succeeded because free men and women were allowed to dream, build businesses, create jobs, own property, worship freely, and pass a better life to their children. Limited government, individual liberty, free enterprise, and personal responsibility created the strongest economy and the largest middle class the world has ever known. Those ideas have never been perfect, but they have produced more freedom and opportunity than any system ever devised by government planners.

That is why Tuesday night's celebration deserves more than a passing glance. It was not about New York alone. Political ideas have a way of spreading beyond city limits and state borders. The activists chanting "DSA! DSA! DSA!" believe they are writing the next chapter of American politics. They believe their victories are not the end of a campaign but the beginning of a national movement. History teaches us that ideas once considered too radical often become mainstream when good people dismiss them as someone else's problem.

This editorial is not about saving the Democrat Party. Democrats will decide for themselves what kind of Democrat Party they want. This is about something much larger. It is about preserving the principles that have made the United States the greatest experiment in self-government the world has ever known. Every election, every political movement, and every new generation should ultimately be measured by one standard: Does it strengthen freedom, or does it strengthen government at the expense of freedom?

The chants echoing through the streets of New York should not be ignored. They should be understood. The people shouting "DSA! DSA! DSA!" believe they have reached a turning point in American politics. Perhaps they have. That is why Reagan's warning deserves to be heard again by every American who loves this country.

As we prepare to celebrate 250 years of American independence, we should remember that our Founders did not pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to create a nation dependent upon government. They created a Republic founded upon liberty, personal responsibility, and the enduring belief that free people are capable of governing themselves.

The celebration in New York may have lasted only one night. The decisions America makes in response could shape the next 250 years.

Wake up, America.

Perry O. Hooper Jr. is a former state Representative, a current member of the Alabama Republican State Executive Committee, the 2016 Trump Victory Chair, and a widely published columnist who writes on politics, governmental affairs, and current affairs.

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