Happy Independence Day. Or, better yet, Happy Fourth of July. It’s a time when we should all take a moment to remember why we have the chance to spend this day however we want.
A group of colonists tired of oppression risked their names and their lives in the hope of creating a new nation where the rule of law, not the whims of a king, would be the basis of the social contract.
Because our freedoms are God-given and our self-government is precious, we offer some thoughts from our history books that we hope will guide us today as we think about our nation, its founding, and the legacy we all must protect.
“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, and that to protect these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men; We do… solemnly publish and declare that these colonies are, and should be, free and independent States… and for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to one another our Lives, Fortunes and Sacred Honor.” — Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
“We must all stand together, or we will all be executed separately” — Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
“The Continental Congress, by the dictates of duty, policy, and necessity, do please themselves to dissolve the connection which has existed between this country and Great Britain, and to declare the United Colonies of North America free and independent.” — General Orders to the Continental Army, July 9, 1776
“Liberty is the unimpeded action of our will; but just liberty is the unimpeded action of our will, within limits drawn about us by the equal rights of others.” —Thomas Jefferson, April 4, 1819
“Are the great principles of political liberty and natural justice embodied in that Declaration of Independence applicable to us? Am I therefore called upon to offer our humble offering on the altar of nation, to confess the blessings which have been conferred upon us by Independence, and to express pious gratitude?” — Frederick Douglass, July 5, 1852
“Our popular government has often been said to be an experiment. Two points the people have already resolved: that it was successfully established and administered. What remains is that it has been successfully maintained against powerful attempts from within to overthrow it. It is now time for the people to show the world that he who can fairly conduct elections can also suppress insurrection; that the ballot is the legitimate and peaceful successor to the bullet, and that when the ballot has fairly and constitutionally determined its decision, resort to the bullet will not succeed.” — Abraham Lincoln, July 4, 1861
“Now, as the century closes and the hands of the great clock point to 1876, we proclaim our belief in the principle of self-government, in the natural right of complete equality with man, that woman is born first for her own happiness, and that she has an absolute right to all the opportunities and advantages life can offer for her full development, and that we reject the centuries-old doctrine, embedded in the canon of every nation, that woman is born for man, and that in no event should her best interests be sacrificed to the will of man.” — Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Jocelyn Gage, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, on behalf of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, July 4, 1876
“The Declaration of Independence is not just an American document. It is the third great document upon which the liberties of the English-speaking people are founded, after the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights.” — Winston Churchill, July 4, 1918
This year, in other countries around the world, the men and women of our military and many civilians are celebrating American Independence Day. Citizens of these other countries will understand what we celebrate and why we celebrate, because freedom is dear to the hearts of all people around the world. In other countries, there will be people who join us in honoring our declaration that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, among which are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” –Harry Truman, July 4, 1945
“First, we must begin with a global perspective, for we cannot realize the American Dream unless we work to realize a global dream — a global dream for peace, brotherhood, and goodwill. The world we live in is one geographically, but now we are faced with the challenge of making it one in spirit.” — Martin Luther King Jr., July 4, 1965
“Use this day to honor America and ask yourself: ‘Why don’t you honor America the other 364 days? Shame on you.'” — Stephen Colbert, comedian, July 4, 2012
“We are so blessed that generations before us took up arms and fought for our freedom. And there were people in this country who understood that our union was flawed and were willing to keep fighting to expand that freedom to all, not just some. The story of our independence is not something that was forgotten after it happened. It is something we must fight for every day.” — Barack Obama, July 4, 2016
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