“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.”
The Dissident Dad: Yesterday, the nation commemorated Independence Day. A celebration of freedom and the concept that all men are equal, with a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Looking back at history, it’s clear that this was never really true in North America. Not while the colonies lived under Great Britain, and certainly not since the Americans won the Revolutionary War.
Slavery, taxes, and many other government-sponsored aggressions have hindered sovereign individuals from pursuing their unalienable rights since the founding of the nation. Government power continues to be a very real problem, and the larger governments grow, the more abusive they seem to become. In modern America, the tyranny is extremely efficient and subtle when compared to other governments in history.
In a small African country, for example, the government may just outright steal and plunder from citizens door to door. Here in the west, citizens seem to suffer from a sort of Stockholm Syndrome, in which we accept and even love our tyranny under the guise of it being lawful and for the “greater good.”
Despite the fact that the freedom we celebrate on July 4th was never really achieved, I’ve taught my children that the spirit of the holiday is something to be celebrated. A group of people fought back against tyranny and started a new and independent system from scratch. Were they perfect? No. Was their solution ideal? Not even close. However, what we do know is that a far away government was taxing them without representation, as its law enforcement arm routinely mistreated them. The King of England created a situation that crushed the spirit of the colonists, who then became so dehumanized they did the honorable thing and fought back against those who would oppress them.
This spirit and courage to go up against what was the most powerful government on earth at the time is extraordinary and should serve as an inspiration to us all as we celebrate the 4th. So while I’m not celebrating pretend freedoms we don’t actually have, I am nevertheless thrilled to set aside a day to remember the courage it took to overthrow a corrupt, abusive and seemingly invincible government.
Happy Freedom Day!
– Daniel Ameduri aka The Dissident Dad
Source
– Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776
The Dissident Dad: Yesterday, the nation commemorated Independence Day. A celebration of freedom and the concept that all men are equal, with a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.Looking back at history, it’s clear that this was never really true in North America. Not while the colonies lived under Great Britain, and certainly not since the Americans won the Revolutionary War.
Slavery, taxes, and many other government-sponsored aggressions have hindered sovereign individuals from pursuing their unalienable rights since the founding of the nation. Government power continues to be a very real problem, and the larger governments grow, the more abusive they seem to become. In modern America, the tyranny is extremely efficient and subtle when compared to other governments in history.
In a small African country, for example, the government may just outright steal and plunder from citizens door to door. Here in the west, citizens seem to suffer from a sort of Stockholm Syndrome, in which we accept and even love our tyranny under the guise of it being lawful and for the “greater good.”
Despite the fact that the freedom we celebrate on July 4th was never really achieved, I’ve taught my children that the spirit of the holiday is something to be celebrated. A group of people fought back against tyranny and started a new and independent system from scratch. Were they perfect? No. Was their solution ideal? Not even close. However, what we do know is that a far away government was taxing them without representation, as its law enforcement arm routinely mistreated them. The King of England created a situation that crushed the spirit of the colonists, who then became so dehumanized they did the honorable thing and fought back against those who would oppress them.
This spirit and courage to go up against what was the most powerful government on earth at the time is extraordinary and should serve as an inspiration to us all as we celebrate the 4th. So while I’m not celebrating pretend freedoms we don’t actually have, I am nevertheless thrilled to set aside a day to remember the courage it took to overthrow a corrupt, abusive and seemingly invincible government.
Happy Freedom Day!
– Daniel Ameduri aka The Dissident Dad
Source
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