Our Declaration of Independence 7/4/2016 0 Comments   photo - The Atlantic July 4, 2012 by E.L. Christianson Jr. In this country, it is commonplace to hear our insincere politicians making reference to the 'founding fathers' of this country and what their intentions were... what type of country and society the 'founders' envisioned.  The phrase "take back our country" is uttered continuously in a false and distorted effort to envoke this idea of returning to the country anticipated by the 'founders'. The biggest problem with these people and their utterances appears to be their nearly complete lack of historical knowledge and/or understanding.  They could be viewed as either totally cynical or as totally ignorant, depending. They deceive us and confuse us with claims of 'exceptionalism', but we know in our hearts that we are not really number one in anything that truly matters. "To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world" Perhaps the irony escapes them completely, that other than a change of names, everything today is exactly the same as then.  They could easily be representing the British crown against the American colonists with their very same words and sentiments.  Instead, today, they are representing our military/ corporate government against American citizens... no difference. And we, the citizens can foster 'our' revolution, 'our' declaration of independence from the corporate state by using the exact same words: Instead of "IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776"... we now say, in the streets of the Unites States of America, July 4, 2016 ​ And, instead of "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America"... we now say, by popular declaration of the citizens of all fifty states, and from here on, we stick with the original... When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. 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.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain...  and here we substitute the words "the history of the present government of the United States"  "is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. From this point, just substitute the words "our federal government" in place of "He"... and everything else is appropriate when updated to modern language and circumstances... just keep reading about 'our' complaints then and see them as 'our' complaints today... He... 'our federal government' has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince (substitute Government) whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends. We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. 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. Powerful words.  A great ideal.  Perhaps it is necessary to read the 'Declaration' again and to update it in your mind. Study the concepts.  Understand that "forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance" is what 'our' federal government does on a regular basis regarding health-care, education, climate change and a long list of items "of immediate and pressing importance". Please know that 'our' federal government "has obstructed the Administration of Justice" and twisted the idea of justice to mean that a corporation is a person and that corporate advertising is 'free speech'... while jailing whistle-blowers for telling the truth. Recognize that 'our' federal government is guilty of  "imposing Taxes on us without our Consent"... think tax breaks for the rich and think overseas tax havens for corporations... know that the wealthest corporate "persons" pay almost no taxes... because 'our' federal government imposes federal tax laws against the people. Understand that 'our' federal government is guilty of  "depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury" and of "transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences,"imposing arbitrary harsh penalities... think of the senseless drug war as one example.  Understand that the prisons are filled with the poor.  Understand why, after stealing billions and billions of dollars, and admitting to their crime, no bankers have gone to jail. Notice that 'our' federal government "has combined with others (corporations) to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation".  Notice that 'our' federal government bends and twists legal definitions to allow corruption and illegal activities by corporate persons... Notice that 'our' federal government has known the truth about climate change all along... and tobacco, and a whole host of other things... See that 'our' federal government in service to the elite has been "abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments"... which is why your vote and your petition have no meaning.  Which is why inequality is the new American standard. 'Our' federal government has been "waging War against us", as one example, we know that U.S. militarized police killed more Americans here at home than the Iraqis killed during 8 years of war over there. 'Our' federal government "has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people."... all of this to please the corporate person by allowing, for example, over fishing, over logging, fracking, exporting jobs along with a long list of other corporate crimes; and, in the process, absolutely destroying the lives of our people. Beyond doubt 'our' federal government, "begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation"and has taken from the poor and given to the rich, creating homelessness in the midst of great wealth. 'Our' federal government "has excited domestic insurrections amongst us" by creating massive domestic problems and creating a massive police state breeding unrest and the resulting urban riots and mass killing of citizens. "In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury." Due to these abuses of power, we citizens "are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown (to the federal government), and that all political connection between them (us citizens) and the State of Great Britain (the federal government), is and ought to be totally dissolved; And there it is, Our Declaration of Independence... issued on this 4th of July, 2016.  Our present situation and the situation of the colonists run on parallel courses and for the same reason, using the same words we announce our purpose. To improve the lives of the people of our country, we declare ourselves to be free of the unconstitutional government as it operates illegally from Washington DC.  And, utilizing democracy, let us form a new government -- and here, we can borrow from 'our own constitution' and finally attempt to live up to its principles: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.