Current location:	On the patio
Current mood:	shocked
Entry tags:	personal

We hold these truths to be self-evident...
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, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Seems like most Americans only remember that first sentence--especially the part about Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. (Something which many sadly interpret as it's all about me, but hey, I'm not denying that I can be as narcissistic and selfish as the next person at times.) The part we need to remind ourselves of is that our government is as it is today through the consent of the governed. We've gotten ourselves here and only we can fix it.

Whew! That was a lot heavier than I'd originally intended. Really -- I only started all this to say, "Happy 4th of July!"