Quote:
Hello HappyMtn. I have to strongly disagree that these quotes are somehow outdated, non-applicable to today because the situation is not verbatim. There is a lot of junk in life that changes with time, but there are core truths to existence on this planted that will never, in one gazillion years, change. These are the truths that we are founded on - that everyone, EVERYONE is born equal, with GOD given right to seek out their own destiny, their own way in this life. That government will always attract power thirsty individuals, and that power corrupts even the best, therefor a system of government was created that empowered the people and limited the power of the politicians. The struggle between the founders and Britain is not anything unique - it's the same story a thousand times throughout history; humans in power trying to own the humans not in power - tyranny. History is where we learn from the struggles of those who came before us so that we do not have to relive their pain, so that their efforts for our freedoms are not wasted on an ignorant recipient. The reason that these quotes are so beloved, the reason that the founding documents are clung to with such fervor, is because they have proven themselves to be the blue prints to freedom. They warn us of the dangers of Tyranny - a threat that is as real and present in this moment in time and in this place in time, as it has ever been anywhere in this world. The path has been trod before us from freedom to slavery and we need to understand how this pattern just repeats itself over and over again. Human nature is the same, the dangers are the same, the path the same, THE SOLUTION IS THE SAME. The history of America shows us the path to freedom.
As to the hypocrisy of slavery during the founding of a Nation based upon freedom for all - yes. I have read so many pages from our founders where they rail against slavery, they tremble at the evil of it, but they did not know how to abolish it, or even live without it. They did, however, recognize, that the founding of a free nation and the abolishment of slavery, would have to be two separate fights - they would have to win the one first if the second was ever to have any hope. And they had the enslaved in mind when they were developing this system of government - it is evident over and over again in their writings and in their arguments, that they were fighting to enact a system of government that would only flourish if the practice of slavery was abolished forever. Did you know that the phrase "pursuit of happiness" was originally "pursuit of property" but was changed in large part because slaves were considered to be property at the time and the founders were struggling to avoid anything that would empower the practice, and were fighting to infuse the documents with freedom for all. This is just one example. And many of our founders , Jefferson included, spent decades fighting to abolish slavery. It is our founding documents and the principals of our nation that led to the eventual freedom of all. Now, I fear that if we do not listen to the words of warning from those who went before us, we are going to march ourselves right back into a government of slavery.