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.

When the members of the Second Continental Congress gathered in Philadelphia in June, 1776, it was not at all clear that they eventually would declare America’s independence from England. Although the “shot heard round the world” had been fired at Concord more than a year earlier in April, 1775, and a de facto state of war existed in some regions of the colonies, many in America still held out hope that they could come to some sort of agreement with England regarding taxation and representation such that secession would not be inevitable.

However, with leading thinkers led by John Adams making the case to break free from England, the momentum to declare independence overcame even the most skeptical of the colonists.

On July 2, the delegations from 12 states voted to declare their independence (the delegation from New York did not do so until July 19) and on July 4, those delegations voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence. Massachusetts delegate John Hancock, in his role as President of the Congress, was the initial signer of the declaration, to be followed eventually by signatories from all 13 states.

Thomas Jefferson’s words in the first sentence of the second paragraph of the Declaration are among the most famous in the English language and the most widely-quoted in any language (although we should note that Jefferson’s use of the word “men” was quite literal, inasmuch as it did not include women, and it certainly did not include African slaves of either gender).

However, the use of the adjective “all” was the most revolutionary aspect of the Declaration. The signers themselves consisted mostly of America’s aristocratic class — Jefferson himself was a plantation owner with many slaves — but the word “all” clearly was meant to include every American of even the humblest means.

That one sentence in the Declaration upended the world order at that time and forever after. It set the stage for the French Revolution 13 years later and eventually led to the demise of monarchies throughout the world. Our democracy as we know it today rests on the premise that every citizen should have an equal voice in the operation of our government.

So as we celebrate the holiday weekend with our friends and family, let’s remember that the freedoms we enjoy today all began with a few novel words written 250 years ago —  and that we never should take for granted the legacy that the Founding Fathers bestowed upon us.

Enjoy a safe & sane 4th of July weekend

When Americans celebrated the Fourth of July at the turn of the 20th century, they did so in such rowdy fashion that vandalism and destruction of both public and private property were commonplace.

This rampant hooliganism was suppressed only when public officials and the public-at-large decided that the holiday should be observed in what they termed a “safe and sane” manner.

Our Fourth of July celebrations today are much more restrained compared to those days, but far too many of us go a bit overboard in our observance of the holiday.

Drunk driving, drunk boating, drunk swimming, and using fireworks (especially while under the influence) will result in thousands of deaths and injuries across our nation this weekend — all because too many among us will have had too much to drink.

We urge our readers to make sure that they and their loved ones do not become one of those sad statistics. It is up to each of us to be responsible not only for ourselves, but also for those we care about. If someone among us is drinking too much, take their keys and make sure they are safe — none of us wants to have the regret, “If only I had stopped them from getting behind the wheel…”

We wish all of our readers a happy, safe, and sane Fourth of July.