Other days leave us to ponder and fight for the future of personal and economic liberty. Other days leave us to dwell on the financial challenges that face so many Americans. Today we celebrate and commemorate the blessings of liberty enshrined in sacred words of our nation’s founding, ratified 233 years ago during a remarkable time that tried the souls of patriots:
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. 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.
Happy Independence Day! Don’t forget the “true reason” for the holiday.
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. (Thomas Jefferson, 1776)
Any people anywhere being inclined and having the power have the right to rise up and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable, a most sacred right–a right which we hope and believe is to liberate the world. Nor is this right confined to cases in which the whole people of an existing government may choose to exercise it. Any portion of such people that can may revolutionize and make their own of so much of the territory as they inhabit. (Abraham Lincoln, 1848 – Before he changed his mind. “I voted FOR the principles of the American Revolution before I voted against them.”)
Happy Secession Day, y’all!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYzt1ao81jU
Still apparently incapable of understanding the difference between secession and revolution. Nice work using our nation’s birthday to make your selective and superficial analysis. (We’ve been down this road before, and I don’t have time to rehash the explanation.)
Anyway, stay on your fantasy-world soapbox. It might give me reason to start charging admission to the site, so people can come in and gawk at the sideshow.
Gee, Ben: you were so impressed by yir retort that ye posted it twice, like fir emphasis or sumthin’.
Wut I “understaind”, sir, is-att this “revolution vs. secession” thang is a bit of sophistry designed t’ escape th’ force of our argumint. ‘N it wuz treated in sum depth at that week of secession postin’ over at A Thousand Nations, which I lanked in my commint here:
https://bendegrow.com/2009/mark-steyn-burst-bubbles-of-big-government-and-political-soap-operas/
As for how fantastic my soap-box fantasy is, well, perhaips you missed that secesh got attention recently in none-other than the Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/capital_journal.html
We gohn mainstream. So, be a-feared, Yankee. Be very a-feared. Th’ Rebs are a-comin’.
Yes, ‘twud appahr-att you ‘n me are at an impass as far as arguin’s corncerned. But if’n I keep a-soapboxin’ here in-ese commints, and ye charge admission, do I at leas’ git half th’ proceeds?
Whoops, wrohng WSJ lank.
Here it is: Divided We Stand
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204482304574219813708759806.html
We can work out some sort of deal to split the proceeds, if I decide to go that direction. And if I do, you’ll be among the first to know.