The Declaration of Independence
"The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in human history and every citizen of the United States has the privilege of enjoying its benefits every day. Does that seem like a strong statement? The Declaration of Independence is one of the most prominent efforts by human beings to stand up in the face of tyranny and proclaim that every human being has God given rights to be free, to be protected and to pursue their lives the way they want to.
The Declaration was written by the rebelling Founding Fathers of the United States to declare their independence from the rule of Great Britain. Before its creation, most human beings lived under kings or dictatorships of one form or another. The men who signed the Declaration of Independence said, "Enough!" And changed the history of the world.
Did you know that you are a direct beneficiary of the Declaration of Independence? You may have never considered it, but the Founding Fathers of the United States have given you an opportunity that few people have ever had in human history and that is the opportunity to be free. The Founding Fathers did not want to live under the oppression of tyrannical dictators. They believed that God made each person to be free, to have his own conscience and to be free to make his own choices in life.
The English King and Parliament had put many unjust restrictions and laws on the American colonists, such as abolishing their local legislatures, forcing them to house soldiers on their own property, resisting the appointment of judges and other officials who disagreed with England, putting military authority in power over civilian authority, restricting their ability to trade with foreign countries, conducting sham trials of government officials accused of wrongdoing, levying taxes without their consent and a host of other issues.
The Founding Fathers tried for many years to get England to amend its ways and reason with them. Finally, when England wouldn't respond, the Americans decided that it was right to cast off the yoke of bondage the English were putting on them so they could live in freedom.
The American founders had very strong beliefs about the sanctity of human choice and human conscience, meaning that each person should have the choice to believe what he wants to and not be forced into anything against his will.
Today, we live in freedom because of the principles these Founders believed. We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to choose our own leaders, freedom of the press, freedom to choose where we can work, who we marry, where we live and many, many other freedoms. We can follow our own dreams, instead of living for the will of the latest dictator.
If you have never read the Declaration of Independence before, you really should read it to get a basic understanding of American freedom and the reasons behind the Revolutionary War."
