On July 4, anniversary of Jefferson's and our great Declaration of why America is, it's necessary to call to mind the raison d'etre of our nation. It's often been said that America is a nation founded not on the ties of tribe or language or religious faith but on the basis of an idea, namely the idea of liberty based on the dignity given to every person by our Creator.
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Declaration of Independence, by John Trumbull (1817), in the U.S. Capitol rotunda
The painting depicts the presentation of the Declaration to the Continental Congress
by the 5-man committee that drafted it, led by Jefferson.
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On the Fourth of July, we Americans celebrate the Declaration of Independence, the birth announcement of America to the world. We ponder these immortal words of Thomas Jefferson: “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.”
Jefferson’s argument is not that the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to pursue happiness originate in government, but that these rights have a divine origin. Jefferson argued that the job of all governments was to “secure” rights that God had already granted.
Read his entire post.
Jefferson’s argument is not that the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to pursue happiness originate in government, but that these rights have a divine origin. Jefferson argued that the job of all governments was to “secure” rights that God had already granted.
Read his entire post.
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