Independence Day

What does Independence Day mean to you?

First off, I'm tired of it being called "The Fourth of July".  Yes, that's the date, but why does no one call it Independence Day anymore? That's like saying "Happy 25th of December" instead of Merry Christmas.

I wonder how many people under a certain age (40?) know what we celebrate on that date. I'm sure some think that's when the U.S. became a country.  It's not. Some might think that it's when the Revolutionary War ended or began. Nope. I'm sure a lot of young people think that it's just a day to celebrate America with fireworks and picnics.  That's just sad.

It's a day the colonies officially declared independence from the oppressive rule of the King of England and became united states. In a written Declaration of Independence (that's what the document was called), representatives of all 13 colonies (which they, for the first time, called "states") signed a document written by Thomas Jefferson listing their specific grievances against King George III of England.

Do you know what's in the Declaration, besides the phrases "we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal" and "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"?  Perhaps it's a good time to review it and see that there is more to it than that.

As you read the words of this declaration, realize that it can be applied to today's government just as it was to that of the former government which ruled this land. There are similarities in the way the current administration is violating basic rights and liberties just as King George did. To make it easier to read, I will provide a translation to more modern English.

This is how it begins:
"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."

Translation: 
Now and then it becomes necessary to break political ties with one's rulers and assume the equality granted by God and natural law and respectfully give the reasons for this 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."

Translation:
We believe the following truths are obvious: 
-all men are created to be equal
-they are granted by God undeniable rights such as Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness
-to make these rights secure, governments are instituted and given their power by the consent of the people whom they govern
-if a government (in any form) seeks to destroy these rights, it is the right of the people to alter the government or to dismantle it and put in place a new government that respects these rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness in such a form where Safety and Happiness are preserved.
 
 "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."

Translation: 
It's not prudent to change a government on a mere whim, and it's been shown that people are more likely to just put up with government oppression as much as possible than to oppose it and overthrow their government. But when the tyrannical abuses get so bad that it can no longer be tolerated, it is the right and duty of the people to overthrow such a government and create "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. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world."

Translation: 
The Colonies are at this point of suffering, and so it is now seen as a necessity to change their own system of government. The King has a history of repeated violations to our rights with the purpose of establishing absolute tyranny over us. Here is the list of his offenses:

They then go on to list 26 examples of his infringing upon their rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. After pointing out the King's offenses and how they have tried to redress them with him, they mention how they also petitioned the legislature as well:

"We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends."

Translation: 
 They reminded them that they left England and settled this new world in order to be more free from British rule, and have tried to appeal to their sense of justice and family ties (as most of the colonists were of British descent) to denounce the King's power grabs. However, the Parliament was also deaf to their pleas and must reject them and separate themselves from them as well.
 
"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."

Translation:
We are no longer British colonies in America, but the United States of America, and relying on God to support and protect us,  pledge to each other "our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

 It's a noble, indispensible document, and it should be noted how government is viewed as ideally being as Lincoln said "of the people, by the people and for the people" and the role the Founders saw God to have in the creation of man's equality and liberty.  They took the overthrowing of the government as being a last resort, done after multiple attempts to change from within, but seeing that it was of no use and had to be done to alleviate suffering and injustice.

This Independence Day, I hope that you and I will remember the true meaning of the holiday and what the true purpose of the Declaration of Independence was: to denounce the tyranny of an overbearing government or leader and to "let freedom ring".