Saturday, July 5, 2008

Happy Independence Day

'When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds 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 opinoins 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 institued among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to 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...' These words were written by men who read philosophy. These words were written by men who believed they had the right to stand up and declare their independence from a King who they deemed a tyrant. That July 4th, 232 years ago today, was hot in Philadelphia. There was no air conditioning when a group of men gathered to finalize their document with signatures, in effect, putting their necks on the the line in what would be deemed a treasonist act. War would ensue. They surely knew that would be the result. Did they ponder on such things as they signed their names? This country has endured much since that day long ago. There have been wars. There have been attacks upon our shores. We have divided in a great Civil War, only to come together again not as victors over one side, but as brothers sharing a history - albeit a bit different now and forever changed. We would stand as One Nation. We would honor the system of elections. Strangers came to our shores. Eventually, they becamse a part of the quilt of what is America. We continue to change. We are not just America. We are Americans. 'We, therefore, thre representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutally pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor....' With those words, we became a Nation. It has not been an easy process. Perhaps forming a government is never easy. But we are here. We are the United States of America....not the independent states of America. We continue to argue and disagree, but in one thing, we agree: Today is our Nation's birthday, and these words written long ago continue to guide us. May we continue our path with the wisdom those who wrote them held.....

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