After Independence

Yesterday, we declared independence from tyranny with the eloquent words:

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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Today, the declarations are done. So are the celebrations. Let us move on to the grievances that followed in the Declaration.

Grievances then

While our nation was coming into being with the boldness declared on July 4^th, it had suffered the conditions that gave rise to it long before. We forget that the bondage of tyranny requires a bold response. We forget to read on from the eloquent opening words to the Declaration's painful descriptions of injustices suffered.

Here is a sampling of what followed beyond the bold declaration. The list is neither comprehensive nor complete but gives a good idea of violations to those 'unalienable rights' with which we are created.

"He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People and eat out their Substance."

"For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments."

"For imposing Taxes upon us without our Consent."

Sounds familiar and relevant for today, don't they?

Grievances now

We suffer similar grievances imposed by the current administration. Some of them follow, but again the list isn't complete.

Obama has enacted a healthcare bill requiring Americans to buy the government's insurance even if they don't want it. Who gave government the power to force a purchase?

Obama instituted a $900B stimulus package that did nothing to stimulate the economy but rather stymied its recovery and put us deeply in debt.

Obama cut capitalism and bounded free markets by grabbing certain automotive, financial and healthcare industries for the Federal government to run.

Obama wants to raise taxes when we all know that lowering them is what will grow the economy. Not to mention that everything is taxed enough already.

Obama has enabled agencies with the power to regulate, restrict, write rules for overwhelmingly stifling individuals' and businesses' creativity, production, and enterprise.

Obama has grown the government into one that's too big for Americans to afford.

Obama was elected to lead our country to greatness, not to tear it down nor apologize to the rest of the world for its very existence.

Obama has sent jobs out of the country, raised unemployment all around, increased the number of Americans dependent on government, disincentivized people to work, stripped businessmen and women from their livelihoods, made a nation of whiners and beggars out of us, wiped out the exceptionalism that Americans used to feel, and on and on...

Independence from tyranny today

Just as the colonists thought the British government ought to get out, Americans are getting to think Obama ought to get out. The Declaration of Independence has a hidden message for today if you read beyond the words of the oft-quoted opening. There's a tyranny today from which we need some independence.

Source: The Declaration of Independence.