So, what did we say that fine day?
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,
This means they don’t have to be proved. They are like the sky being blue. You can argue if you like, but no American will accept any argument that these truths are not self evidently true.
that all men are created equal,
This is a dogma much like the Christian dogma of the Trinity (though on a lower level, of course). You can’t prove it. In fact, you can easily find evidence that while we are created equal, we are not actually equal. Not in physical ability, not in intellectual capacity and so on. But we hold that all men – though in 2025 we would write it “all people” – are created equal because this is the only way to justify a government by consent. We’re either equal and thus can only be governed at our consent, or we are unequal and our superior masters shall rule over us.
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
We are endowed with the rights. That word is very important. Government doesn’t grant us our rights, we are endowed with them from the moment we are created. And these rights cannot be taken away – not even by our voluntary agreement. They exist outside of human reference. God or Nature – take your pick based on your beliefs – endowed us with them by the simple fact of our being human. Why do we assert this as self-evident? Because like our being created equal, it is the only way to justify the sort of government we have. If our rights are contingent upon agreement or law, then it is not self evident that we are created equal and the whole edifice collapses.
–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
Another key part: we institute government simply to secure our rights. Anything else governments do at the behest of the people is all fine and dandy, but the purpose of government is to secure our rights. It is the only thing the government must do. We might want government to pay us all money out of the Treasury…but we demand that government secure our rights.
–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.
No government is permanent. Not even our sublime Constitution. Humanity is Fallen. We sin. We err. We get greedy and stupid. We forget what we’re doing here. When that happens, we have the right to alter or to abolish that form of government which failed and try again with a new form of government.
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.
We can and will put up with a lot, but when our form of government starts to abuse us and usurp our rights, it is our duty to alter or abolish the government. Jefferson wasn’t letting us off the hook. The United States was founded on the dogmas listed above and subscription to those dogmas – a requirement for any person who wishes to have the title of American citizen – lays upon us the duty to change things when they’ve gone wrong. We are not to wait upon the boss to tell us – we tell him what we’re doing, and if we have to fight, so be it.
There is nothing like the United States. Nothing like our Declaration. Nothing like our Constitution. And there never will be another like it unless we Americans simply try to make what was done in 1776 better. Other nations – other peoples – are incapable of this form of government and our concepts of liberties and rights. We don’t know what magic of the universe – what interventions by God – made us what we are and gave us our Founders, but however it came to be, it was and remains unique. Other people do approach our ideals of government and liberty, but they always fall short…too fearful from long habits of servility of actually taking that final step to full, adult and human responsibility. Only we have said – and as far as we can tell, only we will say – “I am an adult human being with Rights and they will be respected”. Everyone else always places a “but” in there somewhere…some escape hatch which allows the adult to hide and allow some form of Master to take charge and order things to their liking.
And it is hard, my friends. We already know that some substantial portion of our own people have been so ruthlessly propagandized that they are eager to surrender their rights in return for a government subsidy. But it was hard in 1776, too. In fact, it is said that only about one in three of the Founding generation were active participants in creating our nation. Such is how is was, is and always will be: most people are afraid of taking any sort of responsibility. But true Americans never shy away from it – we eagerly demand to be given the choice, and we choose liberty at all costs and hazards. Outside of our varied faiths in God, nothing is more important to an American than being free and equal under God.
Look back upon that generation, now nearly 250 years past. They are long gone but they remain our standard. Do we measure up to them? Are we as brave as they were? If we have but a tenth of their courage, we shall remain free.
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