Thursday, April 13, 2006

Revisiting the Declaration of Independance

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776 (April 13, 2006)

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly 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. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain (President of the United States) is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world:

He has refuted his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
NSA illegal wire tapping of American citizens, lying to Congress and manipulating intelligence to initiate war with Iraq

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
Medical marijuana, The Patriot Act

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
The Patriot Act

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
Hasstert & DeLay holding vote open until they got the prescription drug bill passed

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
The Patriot Act, the House Ethics Committee

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
The House Ethics Committee

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
Immigration Reform, Guest Worker Program

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
Refusal to comply with FOIA requests. Appointing Radicals to the SCOTUS, SCOTUS overruling Florida Supreme court to appoint Bush President

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
Attempt by Ashcroft to abolish judicial discretion and impose max sentencing

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
Massive new Department of Homeland Security, Privatization of government positions

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
Proposed use of military for domestic emergencies including weather

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
Proposed use of military for domestic emergencies including weather,
Pentagon Disinformation Program and Spying on Anti-war and Gay Protesters

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
The Marriage Protection Act, Immigration Reform and Promotion of Racism

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
Proposed use of military for domestic emergencies including weather,
Excessive Police Presence at Anti-war and other Liberal Protests and rallies

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
Proposed use of military for domestic emergencies including weather

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
Outsourcing of Jobs to Foreign Nations, No Bid Contracts to Political Contributors for Jobs Better Performed by Government Agencies

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
Unfair tax Relief for the Affluent, Irresponsible Budgeting Resulting in Unprecedented National Debt

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
Guantanamo, Enemy Combatant Law

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
Illegal Rendition, Officially Sanctioned Torture of Prisoners

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
Illegal re-districting of Texas by DeLay and the Republican Party

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
Tort Reform, Corporatism

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
Intrusive government e.g. abortion ban, Anti Gay Agenda

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
You are either with us or you are with the terrorists

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
Deregulation of polluters, deforestation and selling off our national resources

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
Iraq, Afghanistan and, coming soon, Iran

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
The Patriot Act Provision encouraging spying on Neighbors and Clients
Lowered qualifications to increase military enlistment

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
Truly an unfortunate statement however, Our Uniter not Divider has caused the greatest discord in this country since the Civil War

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British (Republican) brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. To disavow these usurpations would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the (Democratic) Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies (this country), solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies (States) are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown (the Bush administration), and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain (the Bush administration), is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.


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