"We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident...."

     The Declaration of Independence, drafted by 33 year-old Thomas Jefferson about one year into the Revolutionary War and approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, contains one of the greatest statements ever written by human hands:  "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."  With those sweeping words, the ideals, hopes, rights, and horizons for a spawining nation and for all mankind were given life.  While the fulfillment of the grand ideals has been and remains a work in progress, they remain a beacon, a touchstone for each of us no matter where we live.   

Jefferson Monumnet

     In his Gettysburg Address in 1863, Abraham Lincoln reminded a suffering and mourning nation in the midst of civil strife that would cost over 600,000 lives, including his own, of the great centerpiece of the Declaration of Independence:  "Four score and seven years ago [i.e. in 1776] our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."  Martin Luther King, in his "I have a Dream Speech" that was delivered from the Lincoln Monument one hundred years after Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, reinforced the truths of the Declaration and reminded us that we still had work to do to live up to the grand ideals of the Nation:  "When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Lincoln Monument

     This 4th of July, we should all celebrate the gift of freedom with family and friends.  Don't ruin the moment by dwelling on our imperfections as a people and nation.  Believe that we will continue to grow as a people.  Relish the gifts so many have been given because of the bravery and vision of selfless men and women who preceded us.  In addition, consider the deeper meaning of the holiday for the United States and all nations.  God has given his children rights that should not be taken away unjustly.  Those rights, among others include the rights to life, the right to liberty, and the right to happiness.  We may differ in our political, religous, and other veiwpoints, but hopefully we find common ground in the sacred ideals of the Declaration of Indepence for which brave men and women who beleived in a better world have fought and died.  The work is not finished. 

Dr. Martin Luther King (in U.S. Capitol)

     Alone none of us can heal all of the wounds, right all of the wrongs, or end all of the tyranny but we can work diligently in our own sphere of influence and try to make the world a better place.  Treat others with dignity and respect even when you disagree with them or their lifestyle, show kindness to children and families. Contribute a measure of your time, talent, and abilities to lessen the hunger, ease the pain, and bring more smiles.  Help your neighbors who are not so fortunate.  Live the Golden Rule by doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Treat others the way you want to be treated.  In so doing, I believe, we will come to better understand the self evident truth that we are created equal and that we each have the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Happy 4th of July to one and all!