Decision ‘08

Hey, Baby, It’s The Fourth Of July!

No words can explain the day more than these:

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.

Enjoy your Independence Day…

8 Responses to “Hey, Baby, It’s The Fourth Of July!”

1 Peter Says:
July 4th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
When you read the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Federalist Papers, it’s hard not to be astounded by how these documents resonate over two centuries later. They established a government which somehow manages to survive even its worst transgressors. Just as the nation survived the Nixon administration and his band of felons — and arguably became stronger as a result — you can see how the excesses of the Bush administration are starting to be rectified by the system of government which the Founding Fathers created. The disregard for law — warrantless wiretaps, perpetual detention of “enemy combatants,” the Nixonian principle that if the President (or VP) does something, it is therefore legal — are being rebuked by the Court and Congress. The falsehoods which led us to war are being exposed by the press and those who have left the administration. The administration’s systemic secrecy and cover-ups (at least concerning the Justice Department purge and the outing of Valerie Plame) are brought to light by a special prosecutor and a jury. It’s like the end of a Shakespeare tragedy, when after horrible events somehow everything gets put back together and life goes on.

Happy Fourth of July, and God bless America.
2 Mark Says:
July 4th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Always the partisan, eh, Peter? No matter, happy 4th to you, too…
3 Peter Says:
July 4th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Not partisan — if a Democrat did this, I would be equally outraged — and I never felt this way about Ford, Bush I, or Reagan — but in my lifetime, Nixon and Bush II are the ones which stand out from the rest in disregarding the principle which we are founded on –
4 Peter Says:
July 4th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
sorry, principles
5 Martha Says:
July 4th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Happy 4th (Even though it’s almost over) and God Bless America!
6 Dan Says:
July 5th, 2007 at 11:03 am
I see nobody is bothering to argue with Peter this time.

We need guys like Peter to keep us on our toes.

Am I optimistic to believe that people like Peter will still freely speak like this 231 years from now?
7 Aaron Says:
July 5th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
“Not partisan — if a Democrat did this, I would be equally outraged . . .”

Not a partisan, just an ideologue.
8 Peter Says:
July 6th, 2007 at 8:51 am
Thanks Dan! I hope to be around in 231 years so I can continue mouthing off.

As for being an ideologue: I’m not sure what that means. I think that dogmatism is the enemy of ratiocination, and I try not to be dogmatic. However, there are certain American ideals, which I think are immutable. Among these are the separation of powers in the Constitution, a transparent government, and the primacy of the rule of law. If howling when these ideals are violated makes me an ideologue, then I’m guilty as charged.