your village voice

July 4th

Currently, the socio-political atmosphere surrounding the US celebration of July 4, 1776 has led to transforming it into another Memorial Day. Though the fanfare of fireworks, marches and parades accompany this holiday, this is not its purpose. July 4th is not even the celebration of the birth of the American nation nor the defeat of the British troops in 1783. Yet, Americans treat this holiday with reverence. Why?

Today is the anniversary of the proclamation of the ideals the United States of America was founded upon. These principles not only bind the US government, but represent an understood contract between a citizen and his/her government in all nation states across the world. In all of the pomp and circumstance, the politics and dilution, the bigotry and rhetoric, I hope all Americans will remember what July 4th is all about:

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.

posted by the prisoner @ 10:06:00 PM