Thinking about the 4th of July takes me to one of my favorite subjects which is what I consider important moments in American history. I have always had the notion that to cement those instances in my mind I need to memorize words, phrases or dates that keep the subjects alive.
I did this with the Declaration of Independence whose words together with those of the Constitution gave great meaning to my understanding of American exceptionalism. The 1,320 words of the Declaration of Independence, not counting the title and the names of the signatories, is a fast read that can be divided into three parts with excerpts which I memorized.
The first part is a sort of poetic preamble that delineates the philosophy behind the desire to separate from Great Britain. This has two beautiful sentences that I committed to memory. In the first, Thomas Jefferson, the principle author of the document wrote: “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 cause which impel them to the separation.”
This excerpt is followed by the strongest statement in the Declaration document. It says: “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 sentence is part of a larger statement about the right of the people to abolish a government that becomes destructive of its original intent. What follows is a rationale for Independence in the form of a litany of complaints that includes the lack of political representation, taxes, the intrusiveness of the British Army, blocking of self-governance, interference on the free flow of immigrants, and crown barriers to moving West.
The third sentence from the Declaration of Independence that I memorized is the very last one in the document. It is a statement of commitment to the cause that states: “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.”
Those beautiful words that end the Declaration of Independence encompasses the poetry of excellence that has been a special gift from our founders to the American people of every generation. I have seen, for example, the rationale for separation from the Union provided by the Southern States that constituted the basis for the Civil War and discovered their declarations fail as stylistic and inspirational pieces.
I have also had the opportunity to compare and contrast these documents to the words of the Declaration of Independence and find the special nature of the Declaration worthy as a creator of our great country. An instance of substance comparison is found in the Declaration’s notion about the rights of a free people versus the overwhelming and stated reason for the Southern States leaving the Union which was to protect slavery.
July 4th is a time of celebration that features outdoor activities and fireworks that dramatize our heritage. It also spotlights the image of our flag and its red, white and blue colors.
The words of the Declaration tend not to be noticed. Yet they are powerful.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of laVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to news@lavozcolorado.com.
