DECLARE INDEPENDENCE

the 13 colonies of the new world adopted the Declaration of Independence just over 231 years ago. having grown more and more irate at King George III's rule and the eruption of fighting in new england, they wanted out. an end to the tyranny of the monarchy.

though the document isn't actually broken up into sections, its commonly viewed as consisting of 5 parts. the introduction, the preamble, the indictment, the denunciation and the conclusion. it is in the indictment that our qualms with King George and our reasons for secession are stated. this past week, i re-read this historic artifact. here are some currently relevant passages from "the indictment", for your consideration, courtesy of our fore fathers.

"Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them...
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected...
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices...
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
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.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us...
...Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people."

here we are. 2.3 centuries later. there's a new King George (this one's the II). what is listed above is what we fought against to become a democratic nation pursuing life, pursuing liberty and pursuing happiness. we fought for it on our own turf. we shed our own blood in our own back yards for freedom. we did this to put an end to the injustices of the all-powerful king.

here we are. 2.3 centuries later. habeus corpus is no more. anyone at any time could be apprehended and imprisoned indefinitely without charges, trial or legal representation, without even a reason. that is entirely legal now. so are wire taps, search and seizures without warrant (which you never need even be informed of under the law), and governmental access to our medical records, tax records, and even the history of books bought or borrowed. these are all things which have become legal practices in the past few years.

here we are. 2.3 centuries later. we're 5 years and jugular deep in an unconstitutional, illegitimate and illegal invasion in the middle east. a war supported by a political agenda and perpetuated lies. facts deliberately falsified to garner the support of the people (google the "Downing street memo") by our elected officials. we are being led by an administration that knowingly coerced us into a long term, large scale war under false pretenses. think about this. take a minute and really think.

how far have we come?

declare independence.