THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

From Wikipedia:

The sources and interpretation of the Declaration have been the subject of much scholarly inquiry. The Declaration justified the independence of the United States by listing colonial grievances against King George III, and by asserting certain natural and legal rights, including a right of revolution. Having served its original purpose in announcing independence, the text of the Declaration was initially ignored after the American Revolution. Since then, it has come to be considered a major statement on human rights, particularly its second sentence:

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.

This has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language", containing "the most potent and consequential words in American history." The passage came to represent a moral standard to which the United States should strive. This view was notably promoted by Abraham Lincoln, who considered the Declaration to be the foundation of his political philosophy, and argued that the Declaration is a statement of principles through which the United States Constitution should be interpreted. It has inspired work for the rights of marginalized people throughout the world.

More here.

While the Declaration is not a legal document in the way the Constitution is, it very definitely spells out what the philosophy of our great nation is. I'm with President Lincoln on this one. All questions about what our nation is, where it's headed, and why, must necessarily be filtered for understanding through the Declaration. Remember all that anti-American bullshit rhetoric flying around for a few years after 9/11? Remember how some of the vilest shit was championed by the same assholes who not only waved around the stars and stripes continuously, but also hit you on the head with it? These fuckers would reduce the notion of being an American to getting fucked up on cheap beer in a sports bar cheering for your favorite ball team. Pathetic idiot big mouths who don't know a fucking thing about what this country means.

Fortunately, the "freedom fries" people have, by and large, shut the fuck up over the last few years. So let's enjoy this 4th contemplating that great document written by Thomas Jefferson, my favorite Founding Father, the Declaration of Independence.

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