Saturday, July 04, 2009

Independence Day

For most of us in the United States, today is a day of family, floats ("parade" would have ruined the alliteration), food, flags and fireworks. It's a day when, at least for a moment or two, many of us feel pangs of patriotism for this country.

Lots of us have family or close friends who are serving overseas. My brother is serving as a Marine infantry sergeant in Afghanistan. This is his second tour in the middle east - he also served in Iraq. Everyday I think of him and ask the universe to keep an eye on him.

I am not writing this today to take anything away from US troops. I'm hoping the fact that I've got a bit of skin in the game will serve as my bona fides.

Today I see and hear many shouts out to the troops and their sacrifice. I applaud those shout-outs and believe them highly appropriate. What I don't see and hear much of are shout-outs to what we are supposed to be celebrating today.


Though it's all worth reading, I'm not going to quote the whole thing, but you can read it for yourself if you click on the image. Here's some stuff I like and am thinking about today:

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.

Then comes the rather lengthy list of the sins of King George III (a startling number of which might be applied to the most recent George to hold the office of president - but that is a post for another time). After the list is the actual declaration by the "united States of America" of their independence from Britain. For some reason we usually have stopped reading by this point. Here it is:

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.

That's all. No pithy commentary from me. Consider it my shout out to Tom, John, Ben and the rest of the boys. Thank you for putting this all on paper so we can drag it out once a year and remember what this day is about.

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