Slowly but surely, the nation fulfills promise of the Declaration

Rocky Mountain News

Friday, July 4, 2008

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On this Independence Day, celebrations may be more muted than usual. Rising food and gas prices, queasiness over the general health of the economy and lingering uncertainty about the war in Iraq have cast a slight pall over this festive day. (And don't get us started about the Rockies.)

And yet, the fact that the Founders' great experiment in ordered liberty remains vital more than 230 years after the Declaration was signed should remain cause for both reflection and revelry.

As time goes by, America continues to find new ways to fulfill the lofty principles and great promise articulated in that stirring document.

Consider "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." Eight weeks from now in Denver, Democrats will nominate Barack Obama for president. Forty years after major American cities were rocked by riots inflamed by racial tensions, a major political party will choose an African-American to lead its presidential ticket.

It's not necessary to endorse Obama's candidacy or agree with his political stances to recognize what a historic event his nomination will be. And even if Obama - born in Hawaii (admitted to the union only two years before his birth) to a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas - had not prevailed in the campaign, Hillary Clinton would have been chosen . . . the first female nominee from a major party.

With either of the front-runners, Democrats were ready to set an important precedent this year.

It's been said many times (including by us) that Obama's nomination could help to heal racial wounds that have undermined the ability of America to live up to its lofty aspirations. Beyond that, though, his rapid rise could have come directly from Horatio Alger, a tale of "luck and pluck," as it were. From an obscure state lawmaker in Illinois to the top of the Democratic presidential ticket in less than four years.

It's the sort of "only in America" story that should make this Fourth of July worth one more hot dog, another cold beer and an extra wave of the flag - no matter how you end up voting in the fall.

• July 4, 2008

  2:26 a.m.

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  Ofearghail writes:

  Sadly as I reflect on this Independence Day, it seems to me that our independence is slipping away from us, our Constitution is being torn apart, and our freedoms are slowly being eroded. The U.S. has had no real leadership for two decades, and in that dearth of leadership, the country is being taken away from the people.

  Our "choices" for president are always between two feeble political hacks, and never include even ONE candidate worthy of leading such a nation. The Congress is the most currupt and out-of-touch it has been in our hisotry, and the judicial branch routinely makes a mockery of the Constitution.

  Real leaders won't run for office any longer because of the overly cynical media attention. This leaves government - at all levels - as little more than a playground for those who are interested only in what they can take from the public coffers, what personal influence and power they can accumulate, or how they can impose their own warped ideologies on the rest of us.

  The fault? I place it largely on the media. And thanks to this media, we may very possibly elect the most unqualified and dangerous candidate for president in our history (yes, even worse than the current one).

  But the real fault is our own. We have become ignorant, self-absorbed whimps who allow ourselves to be used by these "officials" without standing up and demanding better. Why "do something about it" when there is a sitcom or reality show to watch, or a computer game to play? Our children are growing up practically illiterate; we know almost nothing about government, the economy or the world around us - and we seem to care even less.

  They say that a society gets the government it deserves. And that certainly seems to be the case now in the U.S. On Independence Day, it is sad to see that we have systematically given up our independence and, as a result, the nation is sliding downhill, perhaps irrevocably.

  When I look at the government we have now, both in Washington and in Denver, old King George doesn't seem like such a bad guy.

• July 4, 2008

  2:28 a.m.

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  Ofearghail writes:

  Speaking of illiterate... I just caught my several typos. I should not try to post a comment without my reading glasses.

• July 4, 2008

  3:39 a.m.

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  p_myers661 writes:

  We can accept the reality of hope or the reality of difficult times. Many preach they are separate. It is far for many to divide them. Most Americans accept the reality of both and will strive to elect people who will return this country to greatness. We will disagree on what that greatness should be. Our freedom to disagree and make choices creates that greatness even in politics.
  Change isn't going to happen tomorrow, this year or this decade. It will happen.

  Greatness and hope reside in our people. We don't get angry or upset often. It happened on Dec. 7, 1941 and September 11, 1991. Our leaders stood up and united behind the people. That is where government should be, behind us, following our leadership. No voices were raised on that day asking for special rights for terrorists or their allies. No hand of friendship was extended to wave our anger to silence that we might forgive and forget. We wept, we mourned and we determined to never let this happen again.

  The American people are content to live their lives in peace and seek comfort and improvements in their lives. It makes some think we have no will to do the necessary, no stomach for hard choices. We do, many politicians do not. They are the ones conditioned to find the quick answer, the easy solution. If you will, call it the TV syndrome. All the problems of the world are solved in 30, 60 or 9o minutes. That is the media branch most guilty for the desire to box up a quick solution. The press is a topic for another day.

  The American people stand strong and free. They will observe and think. Most won't ever raise their voices in anger. Attack or threaten them and you do as the Japanese General observed at pearl Harbor, "We may have awakened a sleeping tiger and may suffer dearly for our mistake."

  Long live the America of our forefathers and our grandchildren.

• July 4, 2008

  6:50 a.m.

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  anarchist writes:

  Gloom and doom, gloom and doom, vote obama, vote obama, eat a wiener, happy 4th.

• July 4, 2008

  6:57 a.m.

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  anarchist writes:

  Ofearghail, "those who are interested only in what they can take from the public coffers, what personal influence and power they can accumulate, or how they can impose their own warped ideologies on the rest of us.

  The fault? I place it largely on the media.", I agree.

• July 4, 2008

  7:01 a.m.

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  anarchist writes:

  p_myers, "All the problems of the world are solved in 30, 60 or 9o minutes. That is the media branch most guilty for the desire to box up a quick solution.", microwave popcorn, electronic games, grade school kids with cell phones, instant generations. Not the sort to have a little tea party in Boston.

• July 4, 2008

  7:53 a.m.

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  anarchist writes:

  Froward, " Even if John McCain becomes President, he has been a maverick in the past and possibly will throw off the yoke of Theocratic fascism his party so fervently espouses.", how dare you say that, go to your room and write McSame 100 times, it's your usual mantra.
  "While regaining the respect lost around the world, by the current inept government.", is this the socialist marxist Pelosi/Reid legislative branch you are referring to? "out of control government spending.", or maybe it was this?
  Hoisting a toast to founding fathers I will do gladly, to todays politians, a single finger will do.

• July 4, 2008

  7:55 a.m.

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  Oh_Wise_One writes:

  "From an obscure state lawmaker in Illinois to the top of the Democratic presidential ticket in less than four years."
  Wow. Could it be 'because' he is black or whatever PC term is descriptive of Barry? I believe it is.
  Ask yourself if this 1st term Senator was white, would he be standing where he is? If the answer to that is no, then we are in some deep crapola.

• July 4, 2008

  9:20 a.m.

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  CoLoradoCitizen writes:

  In God We Trust? NOT in 1776

  The 4th of July. The Celebration of the Independence of this great Nation. In honor of the creation of this Nation, let's look at the facts. Many e-mails, and many comments on the net, exclaim loudly "THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED UNDER CHRISTIANITY."

  That is simply............ Wrong. These people screaming at others about history, don't know their history at all. Lets examine the facts:

  According to the U.S. Dept. of Treasury, the motto 'In God We Trust' came about NOT at the time of the Constitutional Conventions, but due to increased pressures to recognize God on coins and money during the Civil War. In April 22, 1864, Congress passed an Amendment authorizing the motto to be placed on the two-cent coin. It appeared on various coins throughout the years, and appeared on paper money in 1957. 1957!!!! The phrase was eventually printed on all paper bills, superseding the motto "E Pluribus Unum" (From Many, One) adopted by the Union in 1782.

  "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

  President John Adams

  As I understand the Christian religion, it was, and is, a revelation. But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends, have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that has ever existed?"

  Letter to F.A. Van der Kamp, Dec. 27, 1816

  " As the Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Musselmen; and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries." - (Treaty of Tripoli, 1797 - signed by President John Adams.)

  "During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution." - James Madison( Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments, 1785.)

  CONTINUED....

• July 4, 2008

  9:21 a.m.

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  CoLoradoCitizen writes:

  "I believe in one God, Creator of the universe.... That the most acceptable service we can render Him is doing good to His other children.... As to Jesus ... I have ... some doubts as to his divinity; though it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the truth with less trouble." - Benjamin Franklin(Alice J. Hall, "Philosopher of Dissent: Benj. Franklin," National Geographic, Vol. 148, No. 1, July, 1975, p. 94.)

  "Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon, than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness, that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind." - Thomas Paine ( The Age of Reason, 1794-1795.)

  I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of... Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and for my own part, I disbelieve them all." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason, 1794-1795.)

  GEORGE WASHINGTON: DEIST, NOT CHRISTIAN

  http://denver.yourhub.com/~BriansBLog

• July 4, 2008

  9:30 a.m.

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  KaySieverding writes:

  To Ofearghail

  I think that I personally did something substantial to advance democracy by refusing to give up my right to represent myself in court. That could actually really affect the future of democracy in both the U.S. and in other countries. When I made the decisions the keep standing up, my family and I were hurt in the short run. We were subjected to ridicule, financial stress, and I was put in jail for 5 months without a criminal charge or an evidentiary hearing. At the time I thought a lot about the Holocaust and how one of the causes of that was denial of the right of self representation in German courts. Improved Access to Courts in both the U.S. and in other countries could really make a difference.

  It has taken me a long time to recognize the meaning of all the different clauses of the Rules of Civil Procedure and Criminal Procedure. The recent PBS broadcast on John Adams mentioned that colonists were routinely taken to England to face criminal or trumped up charges and that is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. That is recognized by Fed. Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 20 which requires that a judge notify a person whose unwilling transfer is proposed that a.) They have a right to oppose the transfer b.) That right can only be waived in writing accompanied by a guilty or no contest pleading and c.) The U.S. attorneys in both the originating state and the transfer state must file in writing their agreement to transfer. Like the colonists, it is better for a defendant to be held near home near their potential witnesses. What I find time and time again is that all the rights we need are already written in state and federal law and all we need to do is find the law.

• July 4, 2008

  2:22 p.m.

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  jay writes:

  69 percent of respondents think Founding Fathers would be disappointed.

  i imagine that number has gone up in the last 8 years.

  http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/04/us.p...

• July 4, 2008

  3:35 p.m.

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  sheepherder writes:

  I think P_meyers meant to type 09/11/2001 instead of 09/11/1991.

• July 4, 2008

  3:57 p.m.

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  ksells writes:

  It's been a sad 7 years that included a serious assault on American Independence that surpassed the transgressions of the 50's, but come election day, the tide will turn. At least we got a July 4th. gift when we found out about Jesse Helms.

• July 4, 2008

  4:30 p.m.

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  The_Punnisher writes:

  I think I would rather have dealings with the OLD King George than the present one....

  We knew that we had to do something about him THEN. I KNOW we should do something about the present day king and his court...

• July 4, 2008

  4:40 p.m.

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  gary writes:

  ksells..are you an American or just an idiot?

  No matter if the person is a Dem or a Rep...Jesse Helms served his State and Country.

  Will you celebrate a gift when Teddy Kennedy dies?

  True Americans honor all of our representatives. Makes no differance what party they are affiliated with.

  You show your true colors!

  America...Land of the free....because of the BRAVE!

  Nuff Said!

• July 4, 2008

  11:06 p.m.

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  Ofearghail writes:

  Gary wrote:

  "America...Land of the free....because of the BRAVE!"

  Absolutely! That was true.

  But now America is becoming the Land of the Free Ride... because of cowardly politicians.