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.
Those words, put to paper 233 years ago, are the bedrock of our great nation. They ring as true today as they did when members of the Continental Congress unanimously approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
It would be several years before the struggle for freedom from British rule was complete. It would be even longer - and one failed attempt of a form of government - before passage of the Constitution, which guaranteed our basic rights.
Separately, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are great documents that remain shining examples to the rest of the world. Combined, they truly separate us from all other nations.
We enjoy the basic freedoms of speech and religion like nowhere else. Even many democratic societies place limits on speech or have a national religion. We are free to speak out, even if those thoughts are against the government. We can practice our faith - or practice no faith at all - without fear.
Just as powerful are those rights guaranteed to those accused of crimes. Three of the first 10 amendments deal directly with our rights when accused of a crime. As a refresher, Amendment V guarantees no one accused of a crime shall be forced to testify against himself and protects us from double jeopardy; Amendment VI guarantees the right to a speedy trail, the right to a jury trial, the right to confront witnesses and the right to be represented by legal counsel; and Amendment VIII protects us from excessive bail, excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishment.
Those three amendments protect us from an overzealous government. They provide fairness to all. And those three amendments separate us from other nations, and make us great.
At times we forget about what makes us great.
We have excluded segments of our population - women and Africa-Americans, for example - from enjoying the full rights that come with being an American citizen. We have sat back and allowed factions of our nation to silence the voices of citizens who speak out about injustices.
We want to believe those dark days are behind us. Unfortunately, in the days and years ahead, there will be times when we once again forget the principles upon which this great nation was formed.
But today is a day of celebration.
Let us rejoice that our forefathers had the determination take a stand against tyranny. Let freedom continue to ring as loudly today as it did on July 4, 1776.
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