The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
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 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.
He 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 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.
(signatures)
Click to view images of an original draft from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 1: 1760-1776
Very hard to believe this was written in 1776 and not today.
King George? And now Obama! Here are a few I picked out. I’m sure there are more that would also apply with a couple for words changed.
He 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 obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone,…
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people,
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 cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
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 excited domestic insurrections amongst us,…
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.
Tina, I’m glad you posted something patriot for the 4th. I get so involved is seeing the challenges to conservatives and to the state of Ca. and it’s hard for me to be cheery. But, deep down I know we’re going to be alright and it will all work out…somehow! lol
“… the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God ….”
That doesn’t sound “Christian” at all, does it?
And Peggy, just so you know … if a legislative body full of elected representatives passes a law … it has your consent. That’s how that works.
Now, we know it’s a bummer, being in the minority, legislatively speaking, but railing about imaginary unconstitutionalities just makes you look silly.
And if, on account of this and other things, you cannot persuade the rest of us to adopt your view, and elect like-thinking folk to the leg … well, them’s the breaks.
P.S:
“He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone,…”
Antonin Scalia’s been sacked!?!?!? Praise be to the Goddess!
Libby: And Peggy, just so you know … if a legislative body full of elected representatives passes a law … it has your consent. That’s how that works.
No Libby, that is how our founders designed it to work, but the reality is our laws are passed because our elected representative accepted bribes, and caved to pressure from their party leaders to insure party support toward their next election campaign. Obama care is just one example of a bill that would have never become law without bought votes against the will of those they are supposed to represent. Nation wide polls show approx. 60% appose ObamaCare/Tax. You just showed your ignorance to believe legislators votes represent us and not them.
Now, we know it’s a bummer, being in the minority, legislatively speaking, but railing about imaginary unconstitutionalities just makes you look silly.
Remember these words in November Libby when you and all your liberal friends are in the minority position. Have you seen the atrocious new jobs numbers today and the dive in the stock market? What more proof do you need Obamas policies are NOT working? Another four years of his failures would be insane and our countries death march.
Before you respond with it was Bushs fault, remember your party was in control of Congress the last two years Bush was in the oval office. Therefore, using your own argument it was the legislative body full of elected representatives passes a law which included Obama voting to pass the very same bills hes now criticizing Bush for signing.
You liberals believe republicans will fall for your lies if you keep repeating them enough times, but we know its the uninformed voters with the help of the biased media you are really after. Repeating lies doesnt make them true, just bigger lies.
Lies by omission are also a lie. Fast and Furious has been going on for almost two years, but until recently the MSM didnt cover it, because it wouldnt fit with the Obama image/agenda they wanted to promote. Media bias? Lie by omission? Call it what you want its still wrong. The truth doesnt lie.
“Remember these words in November Libby when you and all your liberal friends are in the minority position.”
Hey, I’ve already done some suffering. Eight years of warmongering, fiscal mismanagement of the highest order, and nothin’ I could do about it, except suffer the consequences.
And we’ll see about November. Frankly, your boy don’t seem to be making much of a case for much of anything at all. Doonesbury’s been making it for him … you gotta go look at the latest.
Libby, are you really that dense?
The Republicans havent been in control of Congress since Clinton was in office. So, your, Eight years of warmongering, fiscal mismanagement of the highest order,
is because of YOUR party, they were in control, not Bush. The Republicans, under Clinton, balanced the budget!!, revised Soc. Sec.!! AND initiated mandatory Welfare reform!!! Anyone who votes for Obama and a Democrat controlled congress are either not operating with a full deck or want to guarantee that the free stuff theyre getting keeping rolling in.
My boy may not be a trained actor that can read from a teleprompter, but on his worse day has already proved hes a thousand times better then, your boy on his best day. (No racist comment intended, just using your own words.) Weve had over 3.5 years of his failed policies and Harry Reid not even presenting a damn budget to the Senate floor for discussion. Over fifty jobs bills passed by the House are sitting in a dead file in Reids office so Obama can claim he has a, Do nothing Congress to blame when hes not blaming Bush for his failures.
Seriously Libby, if you dont want another eight years like you had during Bushs term you really should be voting a straight Republican ticket. If you did and the rest of your liberal friends would, wed have an actual WORKING Congress again like we did when the Republicans accomplished all of the above. If the Democrats win well have another four years to add to the 12 years weve all suffered through.
As for Doonesberry, hes a classless idiot. Any cartoonist (I mean no disrespect to real cartoonist) that thinks its funny to make fun of Jerry Lewis and the Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon, held every Labor day, for the mothers and fathers of dying kids to see like I did should be on the throw out adds instead of the Sunday comics. I wish no man ill will, but if I had been successful in getting a hold of him that day Id have made him live just one day as my son did or taking care of him. Never read him, but always wondered if he did the same to the Susan G. Komen Assoc.
Libby, are you really that dense?
The Republicans havent been in control of Congress since Clinton was in office. So, your, Eight years of warmongering, fiscal mismanagement of the highest order,
is because of YOUR party, they were in control, not Bush. The Republicans, under Clinton, balanced the budget!!, revised Soc. Sec.!! AND initiated mandatory Welfare reform!!! Anyone who votes for Obama and a Democrat controlled congress are either not operating with a full deck or want to guarantee that the free stuff theyre getting keeping rolling in.
My boy may not be a trained actor that can read from a teleprompter, but on his worse day has already proved hes a thousand times better then, your boy on his best day. (No racist comment intended, just using your own words.) Weve had over 3.5 years of his failed policies and Harry Reid not even presenting a damn budget to the Senate floor for discussion. Over fifty jobs bills passed by the House are sitting in a dead file in Reids office so Obama can claim he has a, Do nothing Congress to blame when hes not blaming Bush for his failures.
Seriously Libby, if you dont want another eight years like you had during Bushs term you really should be voting a straight Republican ticket. If you did and the rest of your liberal friends would, wed have an actual WORKING Congress again like we did when the Republicans accomplished all of the above. If the Democrats win well have another four years to add to the 12 years weve all suffered through.
As for Doonesberry, hes a classless idiot. Any cartoonist (I mean no disrespect to real cartoonist) that thinks its funny to make fun of Jerry Lewis and the Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon, held every Labor day, for the mothers and fathers of dying kids to see like I did should be on the throw out adds instead of the Sunday comics. I wish no man ill will, but if I had been successful in getting a hold of him that day Id have made him live just one day as my son did or taking care of him. Never read him, but always wondered if he did the same to the Susan G. Komen Assoc.
As for Doonesberry, hes a classless idiot.
Are you saying that Romney did not purchase and run two companies that outsourced American jobs? And then sold said companies for a fat profit?
I guess Antonin really has been sacked.
Peggy! The Queen of Denial!
But you wanna find some more, sort of, obscure facts to deny. Again, you’re just makin’ yerself look silly.
Libby: “‘… the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God ….
That doesn’t sound ‘Christian’ at all, does it?”
Who do you think “Natures God” is?
Doesn’t it strike you that these mostly Christian men were extraordinary in their determination to make the state secular so as to allow for religious freedom? Christian men did that! When they chose freedom they were serious about it but beyond that you are not stupid. You have read the quotes from these men and you know they were Christians so what’s the prob?
Libby: Are you saying that Romney did not purchase and run two companies that outsourced American jobs? And then sold said companies for a fat profit?
Sure am, and so is the Wash. Post after retracting their trumpet up story written with the help of Axelrod. Shame on them for lying again.
Guess this makes you the Queen Mother of Denial!!
Silly girl I have a news flash for you. Its not considered outsourcing jobs when a business is started in another country and people who live there are hired. No business were shut down here and sent over seas.
That lie is getting old and has earned 4 Pinocchios. Guess youll have to dream up another lie to try and pass of as truth.
http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=22121&pst=1600470
‘WASHINGTON POST’ BACKS OFF CLAIM ROMNEY OUTSOURCED JOBS
After being caught for the third time in as many months coordinating with the Obama campaign to attack Mitt Romney, the Washington Post finally — in the most cowardly and slippery manner imaginable –came clean today regarding the provably false charge that the presumptive GOP nominee outsourced American jobs during his tenure at Bain Capital:
The actual [Washington Post article in question] article, in fact, does not say that transfers of U.S. jobs took place while Romney ran the private equity firm of Bain Capital.
The Obama campaign moved quickly to define what the article said, claiming that this transfer of jobs took place while Romney ran Bain. Thats not what the original article said.
This is how dishonest media cowards who wake up in the morning with David Axelrod nuzzling their ear correct maliciously-timed, journalistic hit jobs that can no longer withstand scrutiny.
What the Post’s “fact checker,” Glenn Kessler, is doing here is two-fold:
First, Kessler’s attempting to rewrite and loophole the Post’s butt out of a sling. Now that it’s been proven Romney is only responsible for creating American jobs and not outsourcing them, Kessler wants us to believe the Post’s front-page hit-piece never (who us?) claimed Romney was responsible for outsourcing.
Something even the slippery Kessler cannot parse, though, is that the Post’s article references two companies responsible for outsourcing that Bain didn’t acquire until afterRomney left the venture capital firm!
Here is another one.
‘Washington Post’ Backs Off Claim Romney Outsourced Jobs
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/07/02/Wapo-backs-off-romney-outsource-claim
Hey Libby, Are you outraged about Obama condoned Dron killing of innocent women and children in Pakistan? The United States says the attacks are highly selective and that few civilians are killed.!!!
Thousands opposed Bush capturing and interrogating terrorist, but not a sound of protest from those same people or the MSM when Obama kills kids. Another example of the Progressive Leaders insane justification to rule as an elitist and the medias support.
Whos the real warmonger now Libby? Obama should be given a crown for King Warmonger. It is no wonder why so many countries hate us and the rest are laughing. The emperor has no clothes!
You really are looking foolish.
http://news.yahoo.com/death-toll-pakistan-drone-attack-rises-19-111243016.html
MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (Reuters) – The death toll from a drone strike in northeastern Pakistan has risen to 19, Pakistani intelligence officials said on Saturday.
Twelve people were originally reported dead in Friday’s strike on a compound in the Dhattakel region in North Waziristan.
Public anger over U.S. drone attacks has helped inflame tensions between Pakistan and the United States.
Pakistanis say the drone attacks kill civilians and encroach on Pakistani sovereignty. The United States says the attacks are highly selective and that few civilians are killed.
Pan! … of the Ancient Greek Pantheon, of course!
To my mind, the phrase “nature’s god” positively leaves the question open. What’s more, I think it was intentional.
But we can’t know, can we?