Two-hundred and forty-two years ago, the Second Continental Congress gave the go-ahead to a resolution that declared “these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states,” “absolved from all allegiance to the British crown.”

Those were Declaration of Independence days. Fast-forward to 2018. How are we doing?

Not so good, it seems. Where once upon a time Americans as a whole fought to cast off the chains of dictatorial governance, today’s youth — whether outright ignorant, willfully blind or completely unconcerned about historical truths — are busily engaged in putting us back in bondage.

“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: 28-year-old socialist Latina woman from Bronx hailed as ‘future of Democrats’ defeats Joe Crowley in primary,” blared one Independent headline.

Then there’s this, from CNN: “Millennials are much more open to socialism.”

Or this, from The Federalist: “It seems like only a few years ago being called a socialist in American politics was an insult. Today, however, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders — a self-avowed socialist — is quickly rising in the polls, and millennials are largely driving his support.”

The headlines are derived from polls.

In a May, 2015, survey, YouGov found that 26 percent of participating adults had either a very favorable or somewhat favorable view of socialism and that 28 percent would be either enthusiastic or comfortable with a socialist candidate for president.

In a May, 2016, survey, Gallup found 35 percent of respondents said they had a positive view of socialism. That was actually down a bit from 2012 when 39 percent said the same and 2010, when the stat stood at 36 percent. Still: 35 percent is a third of the country.

In a 2017 study, the American Culture and Faith Institute found that “four out of every ten adults say they prefer socialism to capitalism.”

On that last, ACFI researcher George Barna put it bluntly.

“That is a large minority,” he said, “and it includes a majority of the liberals who will be pushing for a completely different economic model to dominate our nation. That is the stuff of civil wars. It ought to set of alarm bells among more traditionally-oriented leaders across the nation.”

It doesn’t get much darker than that. But there’s truth in those words.

The Constitution, the republic of America, the nature of God-given rights — these are all things that cannot exist within the horrors of socialism. The first guarantees individual freedoms; the second, state control of production with a priority for the collective.

That so many youth in today’s modern times want the second over the first shows the failures of America’s public schools, as well as the weakening of the traditional family unit that’s led to the current cultural rot and growing secularism of society. Used to be the family was ground zero for the teaching and instilling of values and morals, without which even founders recognized our country and its limited form of government could not stand. Nowadays, nobody wants to be told what to do; biblical standards and morals are deemed intolerant.

God? He’s been relegated to the church, for Sunday sermons only. The idea of God-given rights, as this nation was built upon, has become food for youthful mocking, fodder for leftist political attack.

But here’s the deal: Take away the notion of God-given from America’s system of governance and what’s left is the idea of government granted.

From there, socialism springs.

From there, do-nothing bottom-feeders gain a foothold, carting their messages of entitlement and victimhood, demanding the producers provide for the takers and creating a system that elevates only the whiney and weak.

This is where America’s at right now. These socialist snakes, these vicious wolves aren’t just at the gate — they’ve entered. And the only way to turn them aside — the only way to send the socialists packing — is for the good citizens of this country to turn back to the wisdom of our founders and realize, as they did: A nation devoid of God cannot stand strong for individual freedom. Realize, and then act on it.

First appeared at The Washington Times.