To truly honor what was created 240 years ago, we must respect others’ differing opinions.
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As we celebrate this holiday weekend, remember the reasons why we are able to do so, and accept the responsibility that comes with those rights to the best of your ability.
So, have a happy Fourth of July; be safe, celebrate, and enjoy; and be sure to get ready for that greater Independence Day when Jesus comes again!
The Declaration of Independence is the conscience of every nation that proclaims itself to be democratic – especially the United States itself.
We are a nation of thinkers, innovators, problem solvers, fighters and leaders. They did this because they felt no government should be able to violate the unalienable rights of its citizens.
Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in “Democracy in America, Vol. 2”, “When the taste for physical gratifications among them has grown more rapidly than their education… the time will come when men are carried away and lose all self-restraint…” By the spring of 1826 letter writing had ceased between them and many wondered if either would survive to see the anniversary. But we can always approach our differences with open minds and the willingness to listen to our fellow Americans.
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.
Today is set aside to celebrate that day in 1776 when the signing process of the Declaration of Independence began.
With the Founding, our forefathers not only built a new nation; they built a revolutionary model of government that proved to the world, once and for all, that freedom is possible. Often we forget that. And it still provides a potent reminder of what it means to be an American.
In fact, no less a founding luminary than John Adams wrote to his beloved wife, Abigail, “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America”.
There were eight members of Congress who did not sign the Declaration of Independence; John Alsop, George Clinton, John Dickinson, Charles Humphreys, Robert R. Livingston, John Rodgers, Thomas Willing and Henry Wisner.
On July 4, 1776, the original 13 colonies declared their independence from Great Britain by adopting the Declaration of Independence. The population at in July, 1776 was approximately 2.5 million, according to the New York Post. Since then, America has grown by leaps and bounds.
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All across our state, Minnesotans are gathering with family and friends to celebrate the Fourth of July. Yet the Declaration of Independence – one of mankind’s most important documents – speaks of equality and justice – qualities far more meaningful than trade.
