Every Fourth of July, Americans gather under fireworks, raise flags, attend parades, and share meals with family and neighbors. These traditions matter. They bring us together across generations.

Independence Day is more than a celebration, it is a way to remember what was declared in Philadelphia in 1776: that our government should not rest on the will of a king, a faction, or a distant power, but on the consent of the governed.

That idea was revolutionary then. It remains our responsibility now.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it is worth reflecting not only on what the Founders rejected, but on what they tried to build.

They objected to arbitrary power, to laws imposed without meaningful representation, and to courts dependent on political authority rather than justice.

In the Declaration, they accused King George III of undermining colonial legislatures and making judges dependent on his will alone.

Those grievances were not historical footnotes. They were warnings.

The Founders understood that liberty requires more than inspiring words. It requires institutions, laws, checks and balances, and citizens willing to defend them.

Building all of those into our constitution is what the Founders did to protect our future against the past abuses they soundly rejected. 

Our system has never been perfect. The promise of equality and self-government announced in 1776 was denied to many Americans for far too long.

But the genius of the American experiment is that each generation has been called upon to make the country more faithful to its founding principles. In large measure, we as a nation have heeded those calls. 

That work continues today.

Here in Ohio, the institutions of self-government are not abstractions. They are made up of people in our own communities: local officials who administer elections, judges who apply the law, clerks who maintain public records, lawyers who help resolve disputes, jurors who weigh evidence, and citizens who participate in civic life.

From county boards of elections to local courthouses, from jurors to public servants, these institutions may not always make headlines, but they are the backbone of our republic.

Our republic depends on trust — not blind trust, but earned trust.

Citizens have every right to ask questions, demand transparency, challenge decisions through lawful means, and expect accountability from those who serve the public. But our republic cannot endure if every institution is presumed illegitimate simply because it produces an outcome we dislike.

As a former federal judge who served on both the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, I have seen this up close.

During my years on the bench, I saw firsthand how much our constitutional system depends on the steady, often quiet work of people who serve their communities.

Our republic is sustained not only by founding ideals or public speeches, but by citizens and public servants who take their responsibilities seriously: following the law, respecting established procedures, weighing evidence, correcting mistakes when they occur, and accepting lawful outcomes even when they are disappointing or politically inconvenient.

The rule of law is what separates self-government from raw power.

Courts do not exist to favor one party, one candidate, or one public official. Judges do not serve a political cause.

Election administrators do not serve a political cause. Public servants, judges, and local officials swear oaths not to personalities, but to constitutions, laws, and the people they serve.

They and the work they do deserve thanks and respect, not derision. 

This is especially important in moments of political tension. When our preferred candidate wins, it is easy to praise the system.

The real test comes when our side loses. Peaceful transitions of power, respect for lawful outcomes, and reliance on evidence rather than rumor are not partisan values. They are American values.

This is also why civic education matters and why I am a member of Keep Our Republic’s Article III Coalition.

The Coalition brings together a bipartisan group of retired federal district and circuit court judges appointed by presidents from both parties.

This bipartisan coalition is committed to the separation of powers, the rule of law, and the importance of an independent judiciary.

Through this work, Keep Our Republic helps citizens better understand the systems that protect self-government: how courts review evidence, how disputes are resolved, how elections are administered, and how constitutional safeguards preserve peaceful transitions of power.

It is our civic duty to help citizens understand how the process works, who runs it, and where lawful remedies exist when disputes arise.

In a healthy republic, disagreement is expected. But disagreement must be channeled through evidence, law, courts, elections, and constitutional order — not threats, rumors, or contempt for every institution that stands in the way of our preferred result.

On our nation’s 250th Independence Day, let us recommit ourselves to that work — here in Ohio, in our communities, and across the republic we have inherited and must keep.

Judge Kathleen M. O’Malley is formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She is a member of Keep Our Republic’s Article III Coalition.

This story is republished from the Ohio Capital Journal under a Creative Commons license. View the original article.