Who is the only president to share a birthday with America? All rise, for the Kagan confirmation hearings have begun. What are the key questions for this Supreme Court nominee?
Around the Country
Guess which president delivered the one of the best defenses of the Declaration of Independence against his contemporary progressive critics? The Center for Vision and Values has a hint: More thoughtful than silent, maybe this president was not all about business.
Several governors have proclaimed days of prayer for the distress in the Gulf of Mexico. Can you guess which delegate suggested a prayer at the Constitutional Convention? Quick Thoughts
Why is Progress so unpopular these days? Check out Michael Barone's article about why Americans relate to Founders, not to Progressives. Empathy vs. the Constitution. A new survey has surprising results about what matters most when selecting judges. What We're Reading: James Madison and the Spirit of Republican Self-Government by Colleen A. Sheehan.
Independence Forever: Why America Celebrates the Fourth of July
In a few days, America will celebrate its 234th birthday. Independence Day is an opportunity to celebrate our great country and also to reflect upon its meaning.
America was born on July 4, 1776, with the passage of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration announced to the world that the American Colonies were free and independent states. But this alone does not make the document or America revolutionary. What is revolutionary about the Declaration of Independence is not that a particular group of Americans declared their independence under particular circumstances but that they did so by appealing to a universal standard of justice. What is revolutionary about America is that it is built upon a foundation of permanent principles not petty interests.
The Declaration of Independence serves as a philosophical statement of America's first principles. Just read the second paragraph. It affirms that all men are equal, meaning that they share in a common human nature. By nature, men have a right to liberty that is inalienable, meaning it cannot be given up or taken away. And because individuals equally possess such inalienable rights, governments derive their just powers from the consent of those governed. The purpose of government is to secure these fundamental rights, and the people retain the right to alter or abolish a government that fails to do so.
There is a finality to these principles. As one president remarked, "If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions."
This Sunday, read the Declaration of Independence to your family, neighbors, and friends at your barbeque. Allow its memorable phrases to inspire you to strive for liberty and to vindicate the principles of self-government. Brace yourself, though, the Declaration of Independence is revolutionary, because its principles are true.Keep Reading about Why America Celebrates the Fourth of July
Forward this message to a Friend! Quote of the Week
I have said that the Declaration of Independence is the ring-bolt to the chain of your nation's destiny; so, indeed, I regard it. The principles contained in that instrument are saving principles. Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever cost.~ Frederick Douglass
"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"For more quotes, visit westillholdthesetruths.org
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
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