The Fourth of July 2024 – March to the Spirit of 1776

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On the Fourth of July 1776 the Continental Congress after much debate issued our Declaration of Independence – our still continuing manuscript of then awakened American ideals. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston – the so-called Committee of Five – did much of the enlightenment conceptual work. Jefferson, regarded as the most eloquent writer in the Congress, created one of our essential documents. It states that all of us equals could and would work at Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

These ideas that they were – in the course of human events  – ultimately fighting for in our following War of Independence were bigger than the despots, Redcoats, Hessians and other mercenaries deployed against us. We overcame this oppression and the Divine Right of Kings against long odds.

I still aspire to and sometimes wrestle with upholding these ideals in my conduct. When doing so, I remind myself that it’s the reason that the unthinkable happened in the late 18th century – a large standing British army, the best equipped the world had seen, was compelled to surrender in the field for the first time in history to a mere group of badly trained state militias and the rag-tag, under-funded Continental Army.

Today note the resounding words of our following Constitution’s preamble – We the People.* We need to continue the revolution and uphold the Constitution. We need to toss out of office or impeach the politicians and corrupt officials and judges who don’t understand or who blatantly reject democracy by aspiring to be a dictator or enabling one, and additional un-social media tyrants who mock and disenfranchise WE.

*The Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.