BY STEVE DUNN
Today is July 4th, the day we celebrate the
signing of the Declaration of Independence separating us from the rule of
England and its mad King George. Never
mind that John Adams that July 2nd would be Independence Day and that
declaration was not actually signed until July xx. July 4th was the Day we formally
declared our independence.
Never mind the historical proof-texting because far more
important is the principle. The Declaration reads:
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.
This was a momentous action—and its core values—life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have shaped our people and inspired other
peoples and nations. We have sometimes
had trouble defining those three words and have certainly made mistakes along
the ways—but the end product is so powerful that for more than two centuries
people have immigrated to our shores seeking to find those truths to be a
reality in their lives.
Compared to so much of the rest of the world, we have rich
and meaningful lives, paralleled freedom, and countless opportunities to choose
happiness. Today is a day to get past
the debates over walls and immigration, athletes who stand or kneel, trade
agreements and foreign influence in our politics. For just today, can we pause, reflect our blessings,
celebrate our freedom, and give thanks to our Maker.
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