July 4 reflections These truths are still self-evident
We will soon celebrate the 241st anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It reads, “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.” The message to King George III, and to the world, was simple. King George III no longer considered colonists as his subjects to be protected, and represented in parliament, but equivalent to property in his colonies. Colonists would no longer bow to a king, but only to their creator.
The men who founded this country recognized that to get all colonies to unite would require time for southern colonies to effectively reorganize their economies, and educate all persons to live in freedom. Article 1, Section 9 was carefully crafted to prevent the federal government taking total control of immigration prior to 1808.
We act according to what we believe. We believe according to how we are taught. Obviously both are true statements. When this country was founded, the majority of people were educated based on the Holy Bible (most printed by the English government) regardless of religion. Children were recognized as gifts from their creator. Parents had responsibility for food, shelter, and education. The family was safety and support for younger children, and they learned the basic unit of government is not those elected, but is family.
The First Amendment starts, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Prohibit Congress from making laws, and the courts couldn’t misinterpret them. Unfortunately, that has not happened.
More than 24 decades since the Declaration of Independence, this country has now drifted from Liberty into socialism. The federal government has become almost as abusive as that under King George III. We are held in bondage to massive national debt, and most don’t recognize that fact.
And yet, this July 4 some people will be celebrating a second revolution, one that has not been nearly as bloody as the first. The weapons were not guns and cannons, but ballots. Our country, somewhat peacefully, has elected a president who rallied those people who were disgusted by “government of, by, and for the government.”
The United States had elected, much to media’s surprise, a person who seeks to return to basic principles, actual liberty, protection for our veterans, and protection for our citizens. Our country became united, all were Americans, on Sept. 11, 2001. We forgot party politics and sought to repel an enemy. It is now time to again unite and heal divisions as our country has drifted back towards socialism.
We must recognize that the true government is our citizens, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or political indoctrination. May God bless us all, as we recognize we are all his children. Let us celebrate this Independence Day on the Fourth of July.
Thomas Fancher is a Moses Lake resident and active letter contributer to the Columbia Basin Herald.