The Declaration of
Independence was signed on August 2, 1776 by a “Band of Brothers”, a group of
men who were as diverse as the colonies themselves. True, they were fairly wealthy, even by
today’s standards; some were slave-holders, some lawyers, merchants, and
farmers. But they all had a dream.
The dream for which they made
the first steps was equality and justice under British Law. A guarantee that the colonists would receive
equal treatment by the Crown including Fair Taxation, local justices would be
able to rule over local cases without citizens having to travel to England for
hearings, that elected officials would be able to carry out their duties
without to much interference from the King’s Governors and numerous other
complaints that were levied against King George and his Ministers.
The 56 men signed the
Document that changed history as surely as the Ten Commandments and the Magna
Carta. I am certain that they knew the
Crown would not look favorably upon this Declaration. That their lives and property, as well as
that of their families, would be forfeit if the King felt that this was the
start of a rebellion.
It was a rebellion with fewer
than 5% of the population in favor of leaving the British Empire and striking
out on our own. With full reliance on
God and an earthly ally (France) whose own revolution went seriously off-track
and became extremely bloody. Our
revolution took us from part of someone else’s property to one of the most
powerful nations on the face of the Earth.
We have gone from a Nation of
individualists who believed in God and the Rights of Man to a whining,
sniveling bunch of brats who look to the government at all levels for
sustenance and “free” things. We have
given up on personal responsibility and individual pursuits and opted for a
“nanny-state” lifestyle.
The Declaration of
Independence is as valid today as when it was written. We have local, state, and federal officials,
elected and appointed, telling us how to live our lives, writing laws from
which they exempt themselves, spending our money on pet projects to enrich
themselves at our expense. It is up to We,
the People, to demand that our elected Representatives at all levels, up to and
including the President, uphold their Oaths of Office and not pretend that they
know what is best for the rest of us. It
is up to We, the People, to remind our elected Representatives at all levels,
up to and including the President, that the Constitution of these United States
is the Supreme Law of the land, not some personal agenda either on their part
or that of their appointed bureaucrats.
This November it is up to you
whether or not this Nation survives or becomes a footnote in history.
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