“A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.” This quote from the Declaration of Independence is on my heart 248 years after it was penned.

My prayer for my nation is that a year from now we have a president who is not above the law but law-abiding:

• Who does not need to rely on immunity but rather rules without a need for impunity.
• Who does not advocate for retribution but instead works for reconciliation.
• Who does not strive to be a destructive dictator but instead dialogues and decides with decency and dignity as their core values.
• Who is defined not by hubris but humility.

My prayer is that a year from now we are not led by the kind of ruler the founders excoriated but one who embodies the doctrines they established; one who embraces instead of eschewing the belief in  “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” where all people are created equal and deserving of equal rights.

And to paraphrase the last words of that hallowed document, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, I pledge to you and to my nation my life, my fortune and my sacred honor to do what I can to make it so.