On this day, in 1776, a group of men, tired of oppressive government, which would not allow for representation, finalized their statement. They boldly signed their names upon the pain of death through the charge of treason, defying King George III. Just a decade before, all considered themselves Englishmen, but on this day became Americans. Even more amazingly, they would hold on for dear life against the greatest military power on earth. From Washington’s miraculous escape from New York after the British swarmed Jamaica Pass and the incredible fog that saved his army by covering his escape, to the private contributions from patriots that kept the fledgling army together; the whole American experiment is truly a miracle.
Even more incredible, these men, once victorious, fought – not to gain control or assume a new monarchy – but to limit the overreaching power of government. They restricted federal power, giving more to the states so our voices could be heard over the din of the mob. Like Cincinnatus, they put down the sword and picked back up the plow. The principles they laid out in this Declaration would later be used by great men like Abraham Lincoln to destroy the abomination of slavery so that all men would be free. These rights are not the government’s to give and take away. They are ours, endowed by our Creator. Millions have died or given all of themselves, but the experiment still stands. Even more millions have fled under our protection for religious freedom, economic liberty, and a second chance. We have no defining ethnicity, no set culture, no line of kings, but we have one thing we require to join our union – you must love freedom. You must respect liberty. We are, as so many have said, “the shining city on the hill.” Remember today to thank a veteran and also to realize how important your role is to defending freedom from the forces of tyranny. We are always dangerously on the precipe of oppression; take your vote and your liberty to heart.