"we mutually pledge to each other our lives"

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. --And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

People in Iran are pledging to each other their Lives, their Fortunes and their sacred Honor. They may not be publishing a declaration but they are, literally, puttin their lives on the line to insist on a legitimate, elected government.

For part of an "axis of evil" they sure do a good job of mimicking our founders, don't they?

Pray for the people of Iran and for improved relations between Iran and the United States.

Pray for peace with justice in the Middle East.

This concludes our Independence Day weekend mini-series.

--the BB

"We hold these truths to be self-evident...."

You would not believe, though you may well suspect, that the files on my computer are organized in a vast web of folders, sub-folders, and sub-sub-folders, etc. The main folders I visit under "Documents" are Politics, Blogging, and Mithernalia (where my novels and their supporting documents live). Under "Pictures" there are Politics, Desert Farne (the name I gave to my home in ABQ and the photos I take here), and recent folders of shots taken with my new camera. Plus "Creativity" which has sub-folders for Flags, Maps, and perhaps fifty or so other sub-folders.

With this blog you can see why Politics shows up under both Documents and Pictures. Next to Religious Blogs, Political Blogs is the most populated folder of my browser Favorites also.

In the political folders under both Documents and Pictures are sub-folders labeled "Foundational Documents." This is where I have the texts and graphics of the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

All of the above is context to say that I consider these items foundational. I return to them again and again to refresh my memory and vision of what we, as a nation, stand for.

Most estadounidenses can recite this sentence by memory:

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

We citizens of the United States consider this central to our self-understanding.

There is a history to the understanding and interpretation of this text, however. By the time the Constitution was framed this text was already being compromised, with slaves given partial value (3/5 of a person is hardly "equal"). Over time that obscenity was repealed. Abigail Adams argued for the equality of women but it was many years later that women were allowed to vote. When, not so very long ago, the Equal Rights Amendment was floated, it failed to gain ratification in enough states. We clearly have not arrived on that one yet.

We have been progressing, but it is slow and partial. We have yet to grow into our own foundational concepts and ideals.

The current healthcare debate includes the issue that in the United States today there are citizens whose "unalienable right" to life is dependent on insurance coverage and the rules and whims of the insurer. People die every day because they are uninsured or underinsured or have insurance but are denied treatment.

If we believe the words of the Declaration of Independence, why are we even debating whether we should have universal coverage?

In the current debate over marriage rights it is quite evident that LGBT citizens, in most (but blessedly no longer all) states and at a federal level have their "unalienable right" to the pursuit of happiness denied because they are excluded from marriage.

So I suppose this means that if I'm queer I am something like 3/5 of a person?

Many people in the United States fail to grasp that equal rights are not "special rights." They are equal rights.

I would like to call this nation forward, asking it to continue growing into its own vision.

The work of the American Revolution and the dream of the United States of America are ongoing processes.

Keep fighting until are free and equal.
This is part of an Independence Day weekend series.

--the BB

"Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages"

Dang! Now ain't that a phrase to grab your attention?

Not that I'm going to bring up torture at this moment, however....


Returning to the Declaration of Independence:

Among the itemized complaints against King George III are these:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

...

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

Hmmm, come to think of it, under a recent George, people were held with neither trial nor hearing to determine the legality of their being held. And some were transported beyond Seas not to be tried for pretended offenses but to be held incommunicado and/or tortured. The mercenaries employed by our government are not foreign, but they are mercenaries.

I would dearly love to see us make somewhat swifter progress away from these heinous policies, policies parallel to some of those that led to the American Revolution.

This is part of an Independence Day weekend series.

--the BB