Remembering and Celebrating Independence Day

The Declaration of Independence. Painting by John Trumbull

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument. Here, in exalted and unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people. The political philosophy of the Declaration was not new; its ideals of individual liberty had already been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers. What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in "self-evident truths" and set forth a list of grievances against the King in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country. The finest document ever created by American hand, the Declaration of Independence has been a foundation for many nations across the globe. Often cited by young rebels as the reasoning they have adopted for their own movements, it is unequalled anywhere in the world. Perhaps if more Americans read it, and recited it to their elected representatives, we would have a more honest and responsive government. This document explained why the Colonies of North America were tossing their government into the trash. Oh, Washington, D.C? Are you listening to Mr. Jefferson? Do we, the People, have to do this again? We claimed our independence once before. We can certainly do it again if we must. Read the Declaration of Independence, people. Then try a good read through the United States Constitution. I think you will be surprised by just how much the US Government does that it is not permitted to do. Not permitted by Law. Hold on to the promises of the Declaration and the Constitution! GOD Bless America!