Thanksgiving and Independence

Thanksgiving. A time when we look back at our roots and continue with a proud tradition. I think I’ll do that today, only instead I’ll look back at the roots of our country, at the birth of a proud tradition of personal liberty and limited government – a proud tradition that I hope continues well into the future.

Perhaps one of the most important documents ever written was the Declaration of Independence. It’s unfortunate that this document gets overlooked. Oh sure everybody knows what it is and it’s always mentioned in the same breath as the Constitution, and you might have even been forced to memorize the first paragraph of it in elementary school; but do you understand it? Do you appreciate its gravity and relevance? Do you appreciate its radicalism?

Let’s take a closer look at it on this Thanksgiving Day to see why we truly should be thankful.

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.

In other words, when the course of history requires a group of people to renounce allegiance from one country, and instead create their own, equal country, which they have every right to do, dignity dictates they must formally air their grievances by stating their case in writing.

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.

It is plain and obvious that all men are created equal. They are born with rights that are inherent and cannot be taken away. These include the right to life, liberty and private property. (The main inspiration for the Declaration was John Locke, who argued that government’s main duty was to protect property rights. Locke said, “Man... hath by nature a power.... to preserve his property - that is, his life, liberty, and estate - against the injuries and attempts of other men.” Property, to Locke, meant more than simple possessions as we think of it today. It meant being able to do with one’s body and labor as one saw fit; it meant opportunity. The Declaration summed this all up with the term “Pursuit of Happiness”).

--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

Man creates government and gives government authority to protect the rights that we are all born with. Government can only do as much as we say it can. If government does something the people don’t agree with, it is no longer a legitimate government.

--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.

If government ceases to protect life, liberty, or property, or if it gives itself powers that the people did not give it, the people have a right to throw off that government and start again. It is here that the Founders lay out their vision for government: “to effect their Safety and Happiness”. In other words, the legitimate functions of government are providing security and protecting liberty and property rights.

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.

It would be counter-productive to throw off government for trivial and temporary grievances. In fact, man has proven himself more likely to suffer under a corrupt and tyrannical government than to throw it off. It is easier to suffer than to institute the proper form of government.

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.

But when the people are constantly and continually abused with the goal of such abuse to suppress, silence and control the people, they have the right and the duty to provide for their own welfare and throw off the tyrannical government and institute a new one.

--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 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 here the writers list their grievances with King George of England. I won’t take up space by listing their specific reasons for abolishing ties with Great Britain, but what they write is important and I encourage you to read the entire Declaration here.

They conclude with these three paragraphs:

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 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.

Now are we, in the present time, anywhere close to this? No, thank God, we aren’t. This is still a strong country that we should be very proud of, despite our political failings. But just because we aren’t close to suffering the injustices that would necessitate a revolution, that doesn’t mean we should become complacent. Tyranny and socialism creep. We must constantly review the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the writings of our Founding Fathers. The message in them is clear – limited government that works to ensure the safety and property of its citizens, whom are free to enjoy their individual liberty, knowing that it is something we are all born with, and no government can ever take away.

I for one am thankful to live in such a country. I am thankful we have such a clear thesis statement for our government. I am thankful that we have such a history of liberty that citizens can become complacent and believe in government as a beneficent entity that seeks only to enhance our lives. It’s a good thing that we haven’t suffered the tyranny so common in governments. The down side is that people come to believe tyranny doesn’t exist and accept without question as government takes ever-increasing control of our lives.

The problem is that once the power is acquired, history has shown it almost always takes a revolution to restore individual liberty. I don’t want a revolution in this country. I would much rather constantly watch our government, constantly slap their hands as they reach for things that don’t belong to them, constantly question their motives and remind them of our founding ideals. I would rather constantly remind government and my fellow citizens of such things.

I am thankful that so far, our government hasn’t achieved a critical mass of power that it decides it no longer wants to let go, and is now finally strong enough to swat away any resistance or voice of protest. This country is a country we can all be very proud of. Let’s not become so complacent in our pride that we close our eyes.

Happy Thanksgiving.