Remembering the Declaration on Independence Day

The last line of the Declaration of Independence is one that has always stood out to me. It reads, "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." I often wonder if the 56 signers of that Declaration understood what they were doing. They were essentially signing a death warrant for their lives as they declared they were no longer subject to the British Crown, but free men.

America, even 237 years later is still a beacon of hope to the rest of the world. Why? Because of the ideals that those 56 men stood for. They put their lives, their reputation, and property on the line for freedom. What exactly does freedom mean? While it can mean many things to many people, Webster's Dictionary lists one definition of freedom as "the liberation from slavery from restraint or from the power of another: independence."

In the Declaration penned by Thomas Jefferson, he lists 27 specific abuses by the Crown against the people of the colonies. One particularly large influence on the founders were the ideas of John Locke, an English philosopher and physician, who believed in the natural rights on an individual to have "the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Locke's writings heavily influenced the Founding Fathers' especially in regards to America's "social contract" with England. That contract in their minds was violated time and time again by King George III.

This new idea that the power of a government comes from the consent of the governed, not from a monarchy itself was a relatively new and radical idea. I am still amazed when I think about how 13 seemingly powerless colonies decided to take on the ultimate superpower at the time, with the world's most powerful army and navy at it's disposal and yet by the grace of Providence they won.

I like to think about the quote from General Anthony Wayne, as he wrote to George Washington with a bullet in his head, “Your men and officers behaved like men determined to be free.” It is the ultimate underdog story especially when you think about how untrained and underfunded the Continental Army was compared to the army of England. 

As the size and scope of our current government continues to grow, I just can't help but think about what our Founding Father's would think. The words of Samuel Adams come back to haunt me, “If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”

I can't help but to think on this Independence Day if we as American citizens will accept the growth of government as "our new normal" or if we will stand like the Founders did for freedom.