Why I Love the Declaration

I’ve been asked by a couple people why I post the Declaration of Independence, in its entirety, with the last line emphasized, without any commentary, every July 4th. Part of it is quite simply tradition, but as to how it started, why that last line is bolded, and why there’s never any commentary – there’s a bit more to that. So as I sit here sipping a Sam Adams and listening to Johnny Cash, I’m going to try to explain my thoughts on why I love calling myself an American.

First off, I’m a strong believer that you can and should take interest in your country. I love America. I really do, and I don’t mean that I love everyone in it or that I agree with everything it does, but that I love the concept that is America. At least, the concept it represents to me. Almost a century and a half ago, a bunch of men got together – just men, not statesmen or generals, not yet – and decided that they had had enough. Years of oppression forced on them by the oversea British government had finally crossed the line and they decided it was time to do something. That it was time to be free men. And they talked to their families, their neighbors, their churches, and the word spread. People were fed up and decided to do something about it. So on this day, 232 years ago, a lawyer from Virginia named Thomas Jefferson put into words one of the most incredible statements in all of history.

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