From a young age I have always though it odd that conservatives are so insistent that the county is naturally theirs and that they are so desperate to reclaim it from its liberal occupiers. For the longest time I simply ignored this feeling as a quirk of an overactive mind. That was until the recent election. Witnessing a party so sold on the idea that they were under threat from the opposition and that their candidate was the last hope they had of taking back power before it was too late, I realized what it was their way of thinking that bothered me.

They had the script completely flipped. The true inheritors of this country, the ones with the most legitimate claim on its ideals, virtues, and government, are the liberals. Now this must come as a shock. After all, how can liberals be the ‘real Americans’? But, upon closer examination of American history and government it becomes the only possible conclusion.

It should have been rather obvious from the start. The current form of government enjoyed by both the US and most of the developed world is LIBERAL Democracy. It’s in the damn title; it can’t really get more on the nose than that.

An examination of American history reveals that many of our proudest moments and greatest leaders were very firmly liberal. From Lincoln to the Roosevelts, from trust busting to desegregation, liberals have supplied our greatest leaders and have created our most impressive accomplishments. But to narrow in on a specific place in US history, the founders present more than enough opportunities. Before liberals are quick to dismiss them and conservatives are quick to claim them, let me make something clear: by the standards of the day and by the standards of most of human history the founders were progressives. Let us not forget that the founders were revolutionaries engaged in a rebellion against the British crown for the rights of national self-determination. Furthermore, at the conclusion of said conflict rather than follow tradition and installing a monarch, the founders chose to revive a form of government not truly seen since ancient times. The founders also authored many of the ideas that drive liberals today: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, all men (and women) are created equal and they are endowed with inalienable rights. On a side note, only one major political party can trace its origins back to the founders themselves. I will give you one guess as to which one.

The American constitution reads much more as a tool of liberal empowerment than of conservative entrenchment. If the maintenance of the status quo is the central aim of conservatives then the bill of rights seems ill suited to the task. Allowing free criticism of the government in the press and word of mouth, the ability to peaceably assemble and protest, and the right to petition the government do little to advance conservative causes but are invaluable to progressives trying to change the status quo and tip the balance of power in their favor. By ensuring these critical liberal tools were constitutionally protected, the founders sought to ensure that the progressive vision of this country could endure beyond them.

Conservatives try so desperately to sell the narrative that they are the true Americans and that liberals are just visitors in their house, messing up everything they touch. Progressives need to stop feeling like strangers in our own land. America is a liberal country not a conservative one. Most of our darkest moments from the civil war to the robber barons, from segregation to McCarthyism have stemmed from conservative leaders and ideals trying to uphold the status quo no matter the cost in blood and treasure. Now, conservatives have achieved their fondest wish. They have almost total control over the American government and have installed their legion of liars, cowards, and criminals at the helm. Against this deluge, it is time for liberals to proclaim their rightful inheritance. It is time for progressives to stand up and say the phrase that most truly belongs to them “We must take our country back!”