Today America celebrates Independence Day–a day to relax with family and friends, drink a few beers, eat comfort food and ooh and aah over the spectacular fireworks that will be on display when twilight descends. But how many of us really consider the words that started this day in motion on July 4, 1776? I must admit…I hadn’t read The Declaration of Independence since my US government course in college.
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.
The second sentence of The Declaration of Independence has been said to be the heart and soul of America. All men [and I would add, “women”; Grimm would add “canines” to that sentence if he was asked his opinion] are created equal with certain unalienable rights. Are we, in America’s society today, living up to this credence? Would our founding fathers be proud of what we have become…or would they shake their heads in shame, disappointed in the welfare of our nation? I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer. After all, today’s society, and our world in general, has changed much in the past 237 years. But no matter the changes, the above sentence has to remain true else we turn into the exact force we were trying to escape to begin with.
So today, as we celebrate our independence, think for just a moment about your own life, your own liberties, your own pursuit of happiness. As a nation, we still have many hurdles to clear, but that is true of any large society, especially one comprised of so many different nationalities, religions and beliefs. We have a choice, something so many others do not get. Our founding fathers believed in it enough to make the following pledge:
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
How many of us, today, would make the same promise? Standing up to tyranny and speaking out for those who can’t is a very hard thing. People the world over have suffered at the hands of oppression and not all (or even a majority) have been successful in their efforts to achieve personal freedoms. We are not a perfect country, but we are given choices–free will–to do what we need to within our laws to pursue our own happiness. We have the choice to drink beer, eat barbeque and gather by the hundreds or more to watch exploding fireworks. We have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
fabulous post and even BETTER photos!!! Happy 4th! Barks and licks and love, Dakota http://www.dakotasden.wordpress.com
Hope you guys had an awesome 4th of July! Glad you enjoyed the post and the pics!
Very thought-provoking – I think we still have liberty, but you do wonder, in this age of the internet, when all our private information easily accessed by the powers-that-be, whether we are truly ‘free’. As long as I have access to dogs, I have covered ‘the pursuit of happiness’ 🙂
Reblogged this on Jamil Shamlu.