Happy Birthday America!

Declaration of Independence

[King_Fisher]

Every year as this time I pull out my copy of The Declaration of Independence
and re-read that great work of statemanship.

For the first time I notice something in the preamble which had always escaped
my attention before. In the clause that reads;

" 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"

In the phrase of the "Pursuit of Happiness" it finally struck me that it does
not guarantee happiness,(no earthly goverment can guarantee that) it guarantees the PURSUIT of Happiness.

We are certainly blessed to live in a country that allows us to strive and accomplish that to which brings to us and our families personal happiness.

So in this holliday of fire works, back yard barbeques and family get togethers
we should all pause to reflect on our good fortune to live in a country such as ours!

Have a Glorious Fourth of July and God Bless America!...KF

[edited by: King_Fisher at 5:36 am (utc) on July 1, 2008]

[Visit Thailand]

Aren't you 3 whole days early?

And btw, forgive my ignorance, but how old is the Declaration of Independance?

[King_Fisher]

Visit T...

Yep, a bit early but going to the mountains for the holiday,

Declared July the 4th,1776 making it 232 years old/young...KF

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Here's a bit more history.

Did you know that the words above have their roots in something much older. They are said to have been based on the Scottish declaration of independence from the English in our "Declaration of Arbroath", from 6 April 1320.

[bbc.co.uk...]

[lawman]

that among these are life, liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

That Thomas Jefferson. Always changing something. What was wrong with "life, liberty and property" as John Locke put it. :)

[phranque]

They are said to have been based on the Scottish declaration of independence from the English in our "Declaration of Arbroath", from 6 April 1320.

and even before that, the magna carta.

[Syzygy]

As a bit of trivia: the Declaration of Independence is set using the Caslon typeface.

William Caslon, its synonymous inventor, had a foundry in the Old Street area of central London (now in the EC1 postal district and where I lived for 15 years). He is buried in St Luke's - a Hawksmoor-designed church sited on Old Street itself, and which is now home to the London Symphony Orchestra.

Syzygy

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

and even before that, the magna carta.

I haven't heard that link before?