We hold these truths to be self-evident

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bruno

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..." with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."


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. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. 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.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the 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 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 mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:

Column 1
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton

Column 2
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton

Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

Column 4
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean

Column 5
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark

Column 6
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton
 
Should be required reading for everyone tomorrow, perhaps especially our leaders in Washington. The signers did, indeed, risk their lives, fortunes, and honor when putting their names to this great document.
 
It is a remarkable and beautiful statement that holds true to this day.

Every morning I look at the old cemetary by the train station. Among those buried there are 63 men who were either soldiers, fifers, doctors or patriots. This document was very important to them also.

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Thanks for posting Bruno!

Will be reading this today at a celebration with friends and family - in Gwinnett County, GA - named after signer Button Gwinnett, interestingly enough.

Great reminder that freedom isn't free!

:usa:
 
A great document that all shoud read.

However, I always find it ironic they included the phrase:

"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"

and then seemed to forget all about that phrase for the next 80 years.

Maybe they actually thought that 3/5 meant "equal"?
 
A great document that all shoud read.

However, I always find it ironic they included the phrase:

"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"

and then seemed to forget all about that phrase for the next 80 years.

Maybe they actually thought that 3/5 meant "equal"?

Two different documents Luigi.
 
Yes Luigi- like all documents - words and deeds didn't quite equate when they were issued. Remarkably- the founding fathers were human and not above considering their own interests when they conflicted with their stated principles. And yet- though the implementation of the principles in the Declaration was imperfect, the Declaration of Independence still became the foundation for the future because it publicized for all the world and posterity to read, two critical points that the founding fathers were rebelling to secure: that ALL are created equal; and that the Government only has the powers that the people grant it. All of the subsequent actions in US history stem from those two points. The Constitution is the law of the land but it is just a restating and further detailing of those two points. When the Constitution has conflicted with those two ideas- sooner or later it has changed either peacefully thru the courts and legislative action or by way of the Civil War. Either way- despite the attempt of some to denigrate the achievement because it wasn't perfectly executed to 21st Century standards-I think that this is the single most important governing document in world History. You may of course differ.:rolleyes:
 
Yes Luigi- like all documents - words and deeds didn't quite equate when they were issued. Remarkably- the founding fathers were human and not above considering their own interests when they conflicted with their stated principles. And yet- though the implementation of the principles in the Declaration was imperfect, the Declaration of Independence still became the foundation for the future because it publicized for all the world and posterity to read, two critical points that the founding fathers were rebelling to secure: that ALL are created equal; and that the Government only has the powers that the people grant it. All of the subsequent actions in US history stem from those two points. The Constitution is the law of the land but it is just a restating and further detailing of those two points. When the Constitution has conflicted with those two ideas- sooner or later it has changed either peacefully thru the courts and legislative action or by way of the Civil War. Either way- despite the attempt of some to denigrate the achievement because it wasn't perfectly executed to 21st Century standards-I think that this is the single most important governing document in world History. You may of course differ.:rolleyes:

How ever you need to justify their use of their fellow man as a beast of burden to make yourself feel better, have at it.

"All men" were not created equal in their eyes. Some were nothing but property to be bought and sold.

Spin it.
 
Whatever.

For the rest of you- I hope that you enjoyed your Fireworks and Hot Dogs while you contemplated the concept of people signing a document that committed everything they had to a rebellion that promised a completely different philosphy of Government- one in which they determined that had the right to determine who would govern them and defined why the government had power at all. They didn't do so anonymously, and while they too had all kinds of disagreements and second guessing over what the ultimate meaning and outcome would look like, they actually put their names to what was treason- they very literally put their lives on the line- just as our fellow citizens who are veterans and members of the public safety world have done and are doing today. That's a pretty big deal however you wish to spin it.

An example of both a great 4th of July celebration and honoring someone whose pledge to commit his life, fortune and honor almost cost him that life was at the Boston Pops concert last night on the Esplanade, when VMI Alum, Navy Vet and MBTA Police Officer Dic Donahue- grievously wounded in the aftermath of the Marathon bombings, took a turn as guest conductor:

http://boston.cbslocal.com/video/9060617-highlights-from-the-boston-pops-spectacular/
 
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How ever you need to justify their use of their fellow man as a beast of burden to make yourself feel better, have at it.

"All men" were not created equal in their eyes. Some were nothing but property to be bought and sold.

Spin it.

I swear, you could gripe about a free ****job. Oh, the founding fathers were racist slave-owners? What a revelation. You've enlightened us all.

Try being less of a grump about every last god damn thing. You'll live longer.
 
We hold these truths....

People such as yourselves make me damn proud to be an American. Because you certainly understand, what it takes to defend freedom, which is not free and there is cost. Thank you, to those all defending our freedom to let us celebrate it. Too, include all those you are now at thier Service Academi or ROTC program.

God Bless and Godd Speed to you all,

RGK
 
I swear, you could gripe about a free ****job. Oh, the founding fathers were racist slave-owners? What a revelation. You've enlightened us all.

Try being less of a grump about every last god damn thing. You'll live longer.

I'm certain your personal attack is covered by the TOS, shameful the mods allow such venom to be directed at a poster for stating facts about a founding document and the one that followed.

Shameful.

I guess "Freedom" and "created equal" means one thing to some, and obviously another thing to others.

Carry on your rant.

Again, shameful moderation for allowing the personal attack.
 
Ok folks- let's keep our rants to nonpersonal ones shall we? Rather remarkable that something as innocuous as celebrating the 4th of July would be controversial, but I guess virtually anything can be turned into a negative should one be so inclined. Nice work all around. :bang:

Lee_fireworks6_met.jpg
 
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Independence Day is one of the few days we can actually honor a handful of politicians that put their lives on the line when they signed their names.

The Declaration of Independence didn't form the United States, nor was the Constitution the first attempt to form a government.

And then there is the fact that the British remained, decades after the end of the Revolutionary War.

I don't need history to be perfect, or the history of my country to be spotless. Slavery was, and is a fact of life. It existed in every country, and it still exists through out the the world, even today. I don't lose sleep over that. Maybe I should, but I don't. I don't apologize for slavery in the British colonies or early United States. I don't support it either.

Nothing said on this thread is "ground breaking". History has its ugly points... all history. Once we get that, it's not so hard to move past it, and try, in some small part, to keep it from getting uglier.

As Billy Joel says "The good ole days weren't always good and tomorrow isn't as bad as it seems."
 
Ok folks- let's keep our rants to nonpersonal ones shall we? Rather remarkable that something as innocuous as celebrating the 4th of July would be controversial, but I guess virtually anything can be turned into a negative should one be so inclined. Nice work all around. :bang:

Agreed, just as remarkable that saying "all men" didn't actually mean "all men" and someone pointing that out would be attacked for saying so, especially by one who claims moderator status.

Mods giving such personal opinions should resign the Moderator status, and become members.

Nice work, indeed.
 
Yes well... I certainly don't see how the Moderator (who was also the OP) attacked you here unless posting any clarifying or dissenting view from your own is a personal attack - which I don't believe is the case.

To all I certainly hope that you enjoyed the birthday of this admittedly flawed nation and that you didn't suffer from too much BBQ or Sun while you were enjoying what was the quintessential 4th of july-very hot and perfect for the beach- miserable to watch a game at Fenway ( even though the Sox won) or work in the yard, but great to kick back and enjoy a cold one or two.:wink:
 
A great document that all shoud read.

However, I always find it ironic they included the phrase:

"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"

and then seemed to forget all about that phrase for the next 80 years.

Maybe they actually thought that 3/5 meant "equal"?

You paint with a broad brush stroke. Your characterization of the signers as being in monolithic agreement over slavery is simply not accurate. A number of the signers were anti-slavery, including Roger Sherman and James Wilson, who proposed the three fifths compromise you reference (found in Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3 of the US Constitution) during the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

While on the surface, the 3/5 concept is degrading in that it considered a slave to be 3/5 of a person (which is an understandably offensive concept in our day and time), in reality this was a political compromise that reduced the representation of slave states by 40% relative to their slave population. Understood within its historical context, this was a significant step forward in terms of calling out the hypocrisy of those who wanted slaves to be counted fully in terms of a state's population and proportional representation in the US House of Representatives, and yet would not count slaves as men on an equal footing with free-men who were afforded the right to vote.

The compromise itself speaks to the ongoing tensions that existed over slavery, which were born out over subsequent decades of debate as the founders and those who followed them wrestled over the issue and its philosophical, political, religious, moral, social, and economic implications (good reference site addressing the abolition of the slave trade from the colonial US to the present is here: http://abolition.nypl.org/home/)

The portion of the Declaration you quote is also significant in that it included the phrase "the pursuit of Happiness" -- prior statements, such as the "Right of the Colonists as Men" by Samuel Adams in 1772 spoke of Life, Liberty, and Property - also, John Locke's "Second Treatise on Government" from 1690 spoke of "life, health, liberty, or possessions." The exclusion of any reference to property or possessions is significant, and was a nod to those who opposed a statement that could have been construed as being sympathetic to the protection of a slave owner's right to view slaves as property.

To sum up, while you appear to be taking a "glass half empty" view of the Declaration, pointing out accurately the divide between the ideals of the Declaration and the reality of how they were applied, I'd prefer a "glass half full" approach.

The Declaration itself is a shining light - and the fact that it was crafted within such an imperfect historical context is all the more amazing. The language in the Declaration that "all men are created equal" in and of itself creates a tension, calling on future generations to justify how a practice that enslaves men and takes away their freedom can be reconciled with the self-evident declaration that all men have a God given and unalienable right to be free.

The light of this beacon was reflected nearly 200 years later, on the steps of the Lincoln memorial, by Martin Luther King, Jr., in an often overlooked portion of his "I Have a Dream" speech:

...we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the ***** people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.-

Hard to improve upon that... :smile:
 
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