Happy Independence Day
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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….
I think it’s pretty important to take note of the rest of this paragraph, because so often, “We the People”, forget that it is incumbent upon us to take responsibility for our government and take an active role in determining its course. So, Independence, is more than just an ephemeral concept…it is a tangible, dirty, solid presence in our lives that must be taken hold of and preserved by all who love it.
In reading McCullough’s “John Adams”, i learned some interesting things about the 4th and the Declaration that i thought I’d pass on for those who like me may find such tidbits fascinating:
- Adams considered July 2nd to be the important date, the day that Congress officially approved resolution declaring -
July 4th was just the day that the Continental Congress approved the wording of the final draft of the Declaration.
- John Adams was never really comfortable with the phrase “all men are created equal”. He felt it more appropriate to say that “all men were created equally free and independent”, which was the wording in his initial draft of Massachusetts Constitution before it was later revised to the more Declaration-esque “All men are born free and equal”. A minor grammatical difference but one that can convey a major semantic one.
Jeremy,
So us independents might find succor from the opinion of the 2nd President of the United States?
As Maxwell Smart used to say in Get Smart: Interesting, very, very interesting.
Very much so. After all, it was Adams who said:
I’d say he’d look pretty favorably on independents right now.
Happy 4th guys!
Gotta love John Adams!
Jeremy,
Which is why I find the Presidential election that now faces us so interesting. On the one hand we find John McCain, who often thumbed his nose at Republican extremist leadership, versus Barack Obama who successfully won the nomination by being the most extremist, left wing, candidate up for nomination. (Perhaps Kucinich was more left wing, but never a serious candidate.)
If the Declaration of Independence is of interest, check out “1776″ at Little Theater of Virginia Beach opening July 18th!