This Fourth of July, Hillsdale College is encouraging all Americans to read our Declaration of Independence aloud where ever they may be celebrating. This is a great idea. Reading America’s birth certificate surrounded by family and friends leads to the inescapable conclusion there truly is something special about America. In barely two-thirds of a page, Thomas Jefferson launched a revolution, creating a new nation which has bestowed more good upon all humanity than any other event in history. If you remember nothing else in any of America’s founding documents, remember the first two sentences of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence; it’s a mere 54 words. They define American liberty. To help launch your discussion and drive home Jefferson’s points, here is my take on the 54 words which shook the world.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” acknowledges both the existence of God and His equal creation of mankind. Previously, the world’s populace believed God ordained certain bloodlines to be monarchs and Jefferson’s point no man is born with the right to rule another was a shockingly new idea.

Upon creation, God granted mankind certain “…unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Prior to 1776, the conventional wisdom held your rights came from a king and thus could be bestowed or removed on a whim. Natural rights come from God; granted upon your creation. The Constitution provides the framework for government and specifically prohibits the governments taking of your natural rights. For example, the First Amendment blocks the government from revoking your natural right to freedom of expression or practice of religion. It is these Constitutional restrictions the left finds intolerable and for 100 years progressives have subtly advanced the concept of created rights; defining every human need as a right which can only be delivered through wealth redistribution techniques of big government. However, because government does not work, grow weary, or feel pain; it can only steal and give away what is earned by the sweat of others. Therefore, created rights, such as the right to healthcare, destroy freedom because somebody always pays the bill, be it you, your neighbor, or a generation not yet conceived. Collectivism is a failed system; it always has been and always will be.

“That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” The two keywords here are “secure” and “consent.” As before, government does not grant your rights, it only secures them and then only after receiving your consent. I have the natural right to protect my life, but I have given the government consent to provide peace officers to assist me in that endeavor. I have not surrendered my natural right of self-defense and it remains with me until God calls me home.

This brings us to the final words“…we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” Although not in the second paragraph, this closing phrase is so noteworthy I must include it. Obviously, the 56 signers of our Declaration of Independence recognized the second they signed their names, all they had was at risk and there would be no turning back. Such courage is void in today’s elected officials mostly because rather than fighting for freedom, we have become a nation fighting for free stuff. For 100 years one party has endorsed the wealth redistribution principles of Marx, while over 50 percent of the other party has fully endorsed the principles of compromise. With a core as solid as jelly, the appeasers will vote for anything for a pat on the head and an “atta-boy” from the left. As hard as I bash politicians, they are only a symptom of a problem which will never be solved until a majority of American’s understand the fundamental principles of liberty and hold elected officials accountable. The restoration of our great republic must begin with you because it will not begin with anyone else. Let this Independence Day be the day you and your family become patriots. Hillsdale College is right.