7/4/2007
INDEPENDENCE DAY 2007
THE FOUNDATION
In celebration of 4 July 1776
“Our cause is noble; it is the cause of mankind!” —George Washington
INDEPENDENCE DAY 2007
Our Lives, our Fortunes, our sacred Honor
Our nation began with these stirring words in the Declaration of Independence: “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.” Now, 231 years later, they still ring true.
We may envision the Founders as rash, rowdy rebels. Not so. Already accomplished in fields of endeavor, they were settled in character and reputation. They deemed their decision necessary, and their first thought was of “a decent respect to the opinions of mankind.” They were men of purpose and principle, who well understood the peril of choosing to declare independence from Great Britain. Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote to John Adams, “Do you recollect the pensive and awful silence which pervaded the House when we were called up, one after another, to the table of the President of Congress to subscribe to what was believed by many at that time to be our death warrants?”
The Founders reasoned that the colonials were compelled to the separation, outlining a detailed list of particulars describing the King of Great Britain’s “long train of abuses and usurpations” that could end only in an intended “absolute despotism” and “establishment of absolute tyranny over these states.” They appealed that the free citizens they represented therefore had both a right and a duty “to alter their former systems of government” and “to provide new guards for their future security.”
They further explained, “In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.” They had been patient, measured and restrained in responding to the incursions on their freedoms but could be so no longer.
The central passage of the Declaration’s opening is the document’s most famous, suggesting the form of government truly fit for a free people: “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.”
The Founders sought liberty, not license—rather than a loosening of restraints, a freedom to pursue right. The objective was citizens’ safety and happiness, later called “the common defense,” “the general welfare,” and the “blessings of liberty.” The mottos of the American Revolution were “No King but King Jesus!” and “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.”
Given their experiences with a leader who had violated the laws supposed to control his own conduct as much as theirs, the Founders sought to avoid the instability of democracy or of oligarchy, in which one or a handful of people can overturn the foundations by a simple vote or decree. Fisher Ames warned, “The known propensity of a democracy is to licentiousness which the ambitious call, and ignorant believe to be liberty.” John Witherspoon referred to pure democracy as “very subject to caprice and the madness of popular rage.” The Founders ultimately chose a constitutional democratic republic—based on the foundation of the reliable rule of law, responsive to the people’s “consent of the governed” through representation of the citizens, predicated on the virtue of the people.
The colonists came to these shores with a learned tradition of liberty, and this new land offered a manner of living that further taught freedom. Our performance in upholding this heritage is mixed. We are divided as a nation, no longer pressing toward unity and allegiance to shared principles. Facile commentary lauds comity as the antidote for what the Founders derided as faction, applauding the elitist establishment fetish for bipartisanship. But they are exactly wrong. Indeed, bipartisanship today is more akin to factionalism than are those adhering to the two major political parties out of principle.
There remains one crucial question: What are we willing to risk to salvage the heritage our Founders handed down to us? Our warriors in the field have demonstrated that they stand in the direct line from our Patriot Founders—prepared to sacrifice all in service. Many activist citizens gave time, effort and resources to turn aside the Senate’s recent attempts to foist a dangerous change in immigration laws on the nation. But the United States as a nation is not as secure as at its tenuous beginnings.
The signers of the Declaration concluded their treatise, “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… 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.” Do we citizens, inheritors of the Republic bequeathed us, still stand ready to hazard even half so much?
Quote of the week
“A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.” —Samuel Adams
Great article Snooper.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA
Happy Independence Day! Nice wat to celebrate.
The Jihadi trolls wish they had what we have
Snooper, that could be but would they know what to do with it? I think NOT.
America stands for Freedom and those people couldn’t grasp that.
True words Cassy.
Jihadi trolls wish they had what we have
Comment by snooper | July 4, 2007
What’s that? Stupidity and ignorance? Nope, we don’t want it.
Snooper, that could be but would they know what to do with it? I think NOT.
America stands for Freedom and those people couldn’t grasp that.
Comment by cassygop
Nope, all America stands for any more is $$$$$
Moderator’s Verbiage: And there we have it. The troll has admitted to being a Jihadi Troll.
Oh really? And when did that occur? Since you delete everything we on the Left write because it smacks of the truth, how can anyone believe a lying sack of fecal matter like you? All I gotta say, for the last time is fuck you, fuck the troops and fuck this illegal government. All of you are a sorry bunch of losers who wouldn’t know what the word ‘patriotism’ is if you fell over it. But that is no different than your lack of knowledge concerning God. You mix Him up with the lying piece of crap, Bush, all of the time.
Cheerio losers - I’ll stop by in a while to see what you’re whining about next. ha ha ha..
raoul…you are a laughable loser. Go back to your sewer pit and profane the name of God but don’t come in here spreading your brainless hypocritcal lies.
NOBODY HERE BELIEVES YOU AIR HEAD. GET IT?
Now make sure you copy all this so you can show it to all your gibbering moonies claiming how you you won the debate.
They’ll believe you because you’re all a bunch of losers suffering from Severe Acquired Leftist Anencephalic Dementia.
You are a fool raoul…a demented sick air head with not one brain cell in that ugly box you call a head.
WE DELETE MOST OF WHAT YOU GUTTER RATS WRITE BECAUSE IT IS USUALLY FILLED WITH PROFANITY AND ALWAYS FILLED WITH LIES.
YOU WOULDN’T KNOW TRUTH IF BIT YOU DIRTBAG.
YEAH! What dsolo said!
“WE DELETE MOST OF WHAT YOU GUTTER RATS WRITE BECAUSE IT IS USUALLY FILLED WITH PROFANITY AND ALWAYS FILLED WITH LIES.”
Look in the mirror and practice what your preach, Loser.
why isn’t raoul’s comment deleted?
raoul, we may not want stupidity but YOU seem to show up anyway.
Now act your d@mn age and not your IQ for once.
In regards to the f’s that you yap about your a pr*ck who wouldn’t know what truth means. Your accounts of being a jihad is most dangerous for our Country therefore be advised that a jihadist like YOU should leave and NEVER be heard from again. Make haste to the cave with OBL. You should have plenty to yap about with him.
And stop messing with the Troops or I will get mad!!!!!!