Liberty is Radical – Part 2 - The Declaration of Independence

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm

The above link will connect you with a copy of the Declaration of Independence that announced the intention of 13 North American colonies to be permanently free from the tyranny of the British Crown on July 4th 1776 – to end their status as subjects in favor of becoming free citizens.

“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.”

“We hold these truths to be self-evident…” This phrase contradicted the established orthodoxy of the rest of the world. Everywhere outside of North America it was understood that men were created decidedly unequal and their inequality was assumed to be divinely ordained. Only the monarch had rights endowed by their creator. The rest had privileges granted by the monarchs and withdrawn at the monarch’s whim.

The Declaration contains some wonderful insights into the psychology of government too.

“…all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.”

We are disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable. Isn’t that the truth? I have a life. To set my life aside to deal with an evil that is “sufferable” is difficult. There is a cost/benefit equation in play. For an evil to be “sufferable” means that the personal costs of correcting the evil outweigh the benefits.

For the signers of the Declaration the list of abuses at the hands of the British Crown had become insufferable and so they placed at risk their Lives, their Fortunes, and their sacred Honor to defy the superpower of their day.

How radical is that?

Links to Other Posts in the Special Report: Liberty is Radical