241 years ago, the Second
Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, formally cutting
ties between the 13 North American colonies and Great Britain. The Declaration is a masterpiece of prose and
a unique statement of the principles on which this country was founded.
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.
These words cannot fail to
stir a sense of pride in citizens of the United States. And yet…
When those words were
written, one in five persons in the colonies were slaves[1], who had few, if any,
rights at all. The author of these
stirring words was, himself, a slave owner, and fathered children by one of his
slaves.
One-half of the non-slaves
had no right to vote and their ability to own property severely restricted,
simply because they were female.[2]
A week or so ago, I wrote
about Missions Statements.[3] Looking at the Declaration of Independence as
the Mission Statement of the United States, we see that both at the time it was
written and 240 years later, we are far from fulfilling our destiny.
I have written about
transgender persons who are denied their pursuit of happiness.
We read about Muslim women
accosted for their religion – in effect, being denied their inalienable right
to religious liberty.
So, is the Declaration a
fraud? Not at all. It is a statement of our highest aspirations
as a people.
We have more rights and
privileges than most countries in the world, and yet we have not fulfilled the
promises of the Declaration.
It is said that the
American system of justice if the worst in the world, except for all the
others.
The problem? We are a system of people, and people always
fall short of the mark. An excuse? No, an explanation, and an exhortation for us
to continue the struggle to truly live and govern as though all people are
created equal.
Because, of course, they
are.
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