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 -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Recognize those words? It's the start of the second paragraph of the Delcaration of Independence. Let's take a closer look at what it's really saying so we can better understand why the US government, especially under the current administration, should be "altered or abolished" by the people of the United States.

"WE hold these Truths to be self-evident,[...]"

This means we don't need to prove it. It's so blatantly obvious that there doesn't need to be anything offered as "evidence".

"[...]that all Men are created equal,[...]"

Please note the use of the term "all"-- NOT "all white" or "all Christian" or "all straight". The use of the term "men" is meant in the same way that mankind is used to describe all human beings. It is most certainly NOT meant to imply that only males are created equal.

"[...]that they are endowed by their Creator[...]"

Please note the use of the term "their Creator". The founding fathers recognized the vast array of beliefs and chose a term that implied neither gender nor divinity, since "creator" could very well mean "science" or "chance" if that is how someone believes they were created. Many will say "But it's capitalized!" So are the words "Truth" and "Men" and "Rights"...

"[...]with certain unalienable Rights,[...]"

Unalienable means "Not to be separated, given away, or taken away."(Dictionary.com) That means that these rights are ours from the moment of our birth and cannot be removed or separated from us-- not even of our own volition. For in saying we were giving away our rights, we would actually be exercising them.

"[...]that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness[...]"

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. What exactly does that mean? It means the freedom (liberty) to live (life) by doing what you believe will make you happy. It doesn't guarantee that you will find happiness, but it does guarantee that you have the right to pursue that happiness in whatever manner you feel is appropriate. Of course, you have to remember that everyone else has that same right, which leads us to the next line...

"[...]That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men[...]"

With every right comes an unalienable responsibility to respect that same right for ALL people, which means voluntarily limiting your actions when such actions would interfere with another's right to live their life as they see fit. But the founding fathers, recognizing the human condition, realized that not everyone would voluntarily curb their own actions and so they instituted a form of goverment whose purpose is to protect these rights for EVERY citizen. Not just white citizens. Not just Christian citizens. Not just straight citizens.

"[...]that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,[...]"

Unless every law that a government passes protects the rights of every individual, the government is not doing its job and the people have a unalienable right to alter and/or abolish that government and institute a new one. Laws like the Patriot Act and the Federal Marriage Amendment most certainly do NOT protect the rights of every citizen and therefore are not only blatantly unconstitutional but are grounds for the people to abolish the current administration's term of office.

Primary season is almost over. Come November, we're going to elect a president for the next four years. Bush and the Republican Party have demonstrated that they are not willing to do the task set before them by the Declaration of Indepence, as expressed in the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. Therefore, they are not fit to run this country for another four years. Don't allow it to happen. It's your right to tell them "No!" It's your responsibility to protect your freedoms not only for you but also for everyone else. If you're not registered to vote, register by the deadline in your state for the presidential election. If you're not going to be in your home state, get an absentee ballot. But do NOT stand idly by and allow this administration to turn into the 21st century's American Nazi party. (I invite you to read this article to see just how closely this administration is following in the footsteps of Adolf Hitler.) It's going to be up to the voters to stop it. You've seen the damage to civil rights, the destruction and financial ruin that a mere four years under this regime has caused. Can we really afford another four years? The time has come for us to stop taking our freedoms and our rights for granted. The time has come to stop giving into the fear-mongering of "terrorism alerts". The time has come for us to show the government that we, the people, still want our government to be accountable to us. The time has come to do more than talk the talk-- we now have to walk the walk. The time has come to get involved and to take back the control of the government from politicians and special interest groups. Don't let yourself be caught napping on November 2, because if Bush gets re-elected, you'll wake up to a nightmare you can't escape.

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