The Declaration of Independence was more than poetic word play

[ihopehefails]

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.

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.

This was written by Thomas Jefferson in the year of 1776 but he did not come up with these ideas because the same idea was published by John Locke in Two Treatise of Government more than a hundred years before the year 1776 since he lived between 1632 and 1704. Here is a sample of what he wrote in Two Treatise of Government and tell me that it doesn't sound somewhat similar to the declaration of independence.

The natural liberty of man is to be free of any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but to only have the law of nature for his rule. The liberty of man, in society, is to be under no legislative power but that established, by consent, in the commonwealth, nor under the dominion of any will, or restraint of any law, but what the legislative will enact, according to the trust put in it.

Apparently Locke's ideas didn't just die out but flourished in the writings of many of the founders of this country so it is just more than just poetic word play as some people have tried to say on this website.

 

[skookerasbil]

I Hope......................

my favorite passage........................

.--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,

 

[beowolfe]

And then one went out and sold slaves and the other bought them.

 

[skookerasbil]

And then one went out and sold slaves and the other bought them.

white guilt for the gay................

nobody cares............that was 700 years ago...........

 

[NYcarbineer]

Consent of the governed does not mean unanimous consent of the governed.

Or do you think it does?

 

[NYcarbineer]

And then one went out and sold slaves and the other bought them.

white guilt for the gay................

nobody cares............that was 700 years ago...........

Slavery was less than 200 years ago. And if nobody cares about that, why are so many caring about everything else the founders did or said?

 

[rightwinger]

Nice job by Jefferson....we should honor him in some way

 

[Avatar4321]

And then one went out and sold slaves and the other bought them.

For the sake of argument, we'll accept your claim.

How does that at all invalidate what he wrote?

 

[Avatar4321]

Nice job by Jefferson....we should honor him in some way

I would suggest that the best way to honor him would be to listen to him and defend what he stood for.

 

[jillian]

Nice job by Jefferson....we should honor him in some way

I would suggest that the best way to honor him would be to listen to him and defend what he stood for.

does that mean you're going to remove anything from the bible that makes jesus devine and only leave the good stuff he said?

... you know, like jefferson did.

 

[Avatar4321]

Nice job by Jefferson....we should honor him in some way

I would suggest that the best way to honor him would be to listen to him and defend what he stood for.

does that mean you're going to remove anything from the bible that makes jesus devine and only leave the good stuff he said?

... you know, like jefferson did.

Actually, I meant living the principles of freedom and self determination he stood for. After all, that is what he is known for.

I prefer Adams and Washington's view on Christ.

 

[GilbertArizona]

The Declaration of Independence wasn't poetry it was political spin. Filled with things such as, "Taxation without Representation" (as if the colonies wanted representation) to justify treason against the king by those who signed the document.

 

[ihopehefails]

And then one went out and sold slaves and the other bought them.

For the sake of argument, we'll accept your claim.

How does that at all invalidate what he wrote?

I agree with you on this. How does that invalidate what was said? How does it make it untrue? If he said 1 + 1 is 2 and owned slaves, should we not accept that 1+1=2 because of that?

 

[ihopehefails]

Nice job by Jefferson....we should honor him in some way

I would suggest that the best way to honor him would be to listen to him and defend what he stood for.

does that mean you're going to remove anything from the bible that makes jesus devine and only leave the good stuff he said?

... you know, like jefferson did.

No because I actually believe that Jesus was a divine being so I would not throw that portion out. Don't get in a hissy-fit about this because you are free to believe otherwise.

 

[ihopehefails]

I Hope......................

my favorite passage........................

.--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,

That comes right out of Locke's own writings because he believed that man was free in a natural state and that governments existed to maintain that natural state but when that government no longer does that then it is the right of the people to overthrow it.

 

[NYcarbineer]

It would refreshing if occasionally the OP would succinctly and coherently tell us what his point is.