INDEPENDENCE DAY

Old Yard Ornamental Concrete Monument
I have rescued and re-painted, changing
only the background color.

HAPPY 235TH BIRTHDAY, USA
Today is the day 235 years ag0 our ancestors, forefathers, and others organized in 13 colonies and governed by a Congress:
(1) appealed to the "Supreme Judge of the World and
(2) resolved to declare their independence, and
(3) be recognized as a nation, the "United States of America" with
(4) rights to levy War, Contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and do "all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do."

Our area newspaper, The Baxter Bulletin, printed the Declaration of Independence, in its entirety today, so I read it in its entirety for the first time in many years.

The document has elicited popular phrases , such as "when in the Course of human events," but none more popularly quoted and included in many legal documents than the following:

"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 wish to point out different transcribing and rewriting in revisions of the final document use the word INALIENABLE, instead of UNALIENABLE. Please follow this link for discussion of the topic. Apparently, Jefferson seemed to prefer inalienable. Either word has the same meaning. I suppose the official copy on parchment at the Department of State is the final word-unalienable. There are many intermediate copies, as you will see from this link.

Upon reading this document in its entirety today the third paragraph, following the most popular aforementioned paragraph,  was an important point I had forgotten. "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." [emphasis mine]

The writers recognized the need for government, whose power is derived, or limited, or removed, from, or by, the governed, which are duly born persons in the United States, or persons duly naturalized by a prescribed process, set by federal law. Somehow, I feel this aspect has been ignored by our elected officials for a long time past to present. Also, I believe as citizens we do not take our "powers" seriously. Of course this power is primarily to VOTE, but there are ways to stay involved, such as petition our representatives, senators, and YES, even the President.

How about on local levels attend governmental meetings to see how elected officials perform?  Volunteer of local committees which are established to advise or participation in solving some project. Yes, some officials should never had been elected, nor do they behave in a manner to have deserved their election. Yes, committees and commissions become raucous and disorganized.

Democracy is sometimes a messy process, but I'll take it. No alternative I've read seems a better choice. If so I'd move there.

This document has religious references referring to a Supreme Being: "Nature's God, Creator, Supreme Judge. After all many had fled their countries for the privilege of religious freedom, which includes no religion. Religious FREEDOM includes, without prejudice, all forms of spirituality or NONE AT ALL.

I have included one of my favorite songs, performed by Lee Greenwood originally. This version is the Texas A&M chorus, not a very clear video, but nice chorus. If embed does not work follow link here: