"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."
I believe that statement can easily be called one of the greatest thoughts ever written in human history. It all boils down to this: we all are equal, we all have a right to live our lives, we all have the freedom in and responsibility for our actions, and to pursue our happiness; whatever that may be as long as it doesn't prevent or deprive anyone from their unalienable rights.
Though we may be fallible and suffer the universal human condition, some of us manage to touch greatness when the time is needed. Be it fate, "divine Providence", or just the luck of probability in the universe as we know it, I believe that humanity is always capable of of living up to its potential. As human as they all were, the people who wrote the Declaration of Independence were able to touch that potential of greatness long enough to affect a nation. What is stopping us in those brief opportunities for greatness in our own lives?
Go ahead and give it another read: Declaration of Independence. Allow yourself to be inspired and to find the independence and greatness in your own life and community. Otherwise, what was the point of our forebearers embarking on this path in the first place?
I wish you all a happy Independence Day, and I hope that we all continue to "mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor" in this great social experiment called the United States of America.
