Our nation’s 245th anniversary is Sunday. But for many of us, this is not a happy birthday. The one issue of unanimous consent among us is that we are divided. There are two issues of agreement among the population. One is that we are divided. The second is that the other side is defiantly wrong.

July 4th is to celebrate the Declaration of Independence, our founding document, our first statement of principles. It is our touchstone. It can help us today.

The first paragraph unites us in purpose: “one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them to” an imperious king...