Editorial: Celebrating independence

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“When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

So goes the beginning of the Declaration of Independence, adopted July 4, 1776 — 232 years ago Friday — by the Second Continental Congress. As we celebrate this nation’s birthday, we should be reminded of what the Declaration continues to stand for today. It’s a document that certainly should be required reading for all — and the Fourth of July sure seems like an ideal occasion.

Witness the next paragraph of the Declaration, which begins, “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 ...”

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — these, to many, sum up what America is all about. The roots of “pursuing the American dream” came as a result of this important document, and those dreams continue to be chased today.

Happy birthday, America. We’re thankful for the freedoms we enjoy here.

Tags: declaration of independence, opinion, july, 4