But The Declaration of Independence Says

Posted: Apr 14, 2015

Have we forgotten? Here are Thomas Jefferson's exact words, which can be found within the Declaration of Independence - I dare anyone to accuse him of writing "Word Salad" ;) ____________________________________________________________ "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. 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. 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." ___________________________________ Commentary: The above is the full text of the Declaration of Independence from the following URL: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html On the handwritten first-draft copy of the DOI, Thomas Jefferson initially wrote "we hold these truths to be sacred", scratched it out, and put instead "we hold these truths to be self-evident". URL for the draft can be found here: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/long-held-tradition-cursive-handwriting-slowly-dying-america/) He later explains that he did so in doing his best to avoid using too much religious jargon, in an effort to keep church and state separate due to varying disagreements in religion. Not because he wasn't a Christian, but because he knew we couldn't agree on Christian interpretation. Note the first sentence; Jefferson says we have the right to dissolve any political bands that connect us; which includes political parties, even a public venue that has a governing body that holds political content. Jefferson stated that the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not yours or mine to give or take away, because they are given to us as "Nature's God entitles them." Not a single one of us in this room died during the war that followed for the privilege of maintaining these rights, among them being freedom of speech which does not incite violence or abuse of others - but most likely someone in our families died defending and protecting these rights. *** Since our families and our great-grandparents DIED to protect the god-given right to freedom of speech - who do you think you ARE trying to take it away from others just because they disagree with you politically??? *** Since none of us made the ultimate sacrifice for that right, none of us actually has the right to discriminate and try take it away from other people, especially based on our own political preference, as if it's our own personal divine right. Being that my great-great-great-great-great-cousins on both sides died during the Revolutionary war, the earliest having arrived here in 1732, some might say my family has more of a right to it than others. Some also have said we may have more of a say than others about to let in or out of this country. But instead, I defer to Jefferson, who said: "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." And it's true, I don't care much for the fact that some people, who most likely came to this country after my family, start prancing around as if freedom of speech is their personal divine right, exclusively for them and their friends, discriminating against others because they hold different voice. (In fact, I wonder if we would've let them in had we known they'd end up acting like that!) And most importantly, I believe my great-cousins would be proud when I repeat and invoke the words of Jefferson here, by saying: "...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 our right...it is our DUTY...to throw off such "Government", and to provide new Guards for their future security." Amen, Forefather Jefferson, Amen. And onward, true Christian (or not) soldiers...onward:);