A Place for a Declaration of Independence

Today we celebrate the signing of the “Declaration of Independence” that officially formed our nation.  It is an appropriate time for us to examine the most famous excerpt from it. 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident":  What is truth?  That which is in accordance with fact or reality. Reality is a matter of perspective and, therefore, self-evident.

"that all men are created equal":  Created equal?  I don't think so.  We are singular biological creatures who are formed by an inherited DNA and as such are unequal.

"are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights": Impossible to take away?  I posit that our Rights can be taken from us, and that each of us is responsible for our own self-preservation.

“that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”:  Wow! Here is a lot of fodder for expression.  The great philosophers of the ages have had their say about the meaning of Life and Happiness.  Jefferson chose to write, “and the pursuit of happiness”- not the promise of happiness.  For perhaps he wisely knew that happiness is fleeting and elusive.  But he recognized that a government should not stand in the way of the pursuit of happiness.  I ask, “Shouldn’t a government promote and support the pursuit of happiness?”  How often have we heard the words “happiness” and “war” used in the same sentence?  Obviously, not very often.  In fact, aren’t these words mutually incompatible?  Should a government allocate an inordinate percentage of its resources to a war machine that ultimately causes death and destruction, instead of financially supporting “life” and “the pursuit of happiness”?

Our congress is presently arguing over how much to allocate for health care, but I hear very little discussion about the proposed increase to the “defense” budget.  If we took half of the present amount spent on the "defense" budget, and reallocated it to health care and education, we could then claim that we were a country that supports the pursuit of happiness.

But let’s read a bit further:  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.

From my understanding of this passage, I argue that Jefferson would be appalled at the present state of the powers of our government and, like myself, would advocate for a new Government, [that lays] its foundation on [the] principles [of] Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness and [that would organize] its powers in such form, as to … effect [the] Safety and Happiness of the People.

Today, on this celebration of the Fourth of July, from a place called Merry Mount, I, as a follower of Jefferson, call for our government representatives to adhere to the principles found in the Declaration of Independence.

CPW