Individual Liberty — Individual Responsibility

For those we lost, We will not forget 09/11/2001

“The task of statesmanship has always been the re-definition of these rights in terms of a changing and growing social order.”
— Franklin D. Roosevelt (Commonwealth Club Address, 1932)

“Roosevelt was wrong! The principles laid down in the Declaration of Independence are the principles of individual liberty. Our unalienable rights, given to us by God are given to us as individuals. Our rights do not come from society or the government, and they cannot be redefined by politicians. The nature of these rights carries with it the implication of individual responsibility, without which we surrender them.”
— Perri Nelson, November 6, 2008

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July the Second

Published Sat, Jul 5 2008 10:23 AM

Yesterday was, as I'm sure you are aware by now, the Independence Day Holiday, celebrated on July the Fourth every year in the United States of America. The holiday celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a singular document by which the United States declared their independence from Great Britain to the world. As my father reminded me yesterday though, the Continental Congress actually declared independence two days earlier when the Lee Resolution was adopted by twelve of the thirteen colonies. Only New York didn't vote. The Lee Resolution, put forward by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia began…

Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.

Note the usage of the word State here. Two days later when the Declaration of Independence was signed the Congress of the United States declared that

[T]hese United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, 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.

So the fourth of July isn't really the anniversary of the birth of a nation. It's the anniversary of the birth of thirteen of them. Or, perhaps, it's really the second of July that we should be celebrating.

…Nah! That would leave New York out of the party. Myself, I wait until September 17th every year to celebrate the true birth of our Nation. On that day, the Constitutional Convention finished its work and signed the Constitution for the United States of America.

Or maybe we really should celebrate on the second of July after all…

The Lee Resolution was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776, declaring the United Colonies to be free and independent States.
On July 2, 1788, news of the ratification of the Constitution by New Hampshire reached the Confederation Congress in New York. New Hampshire was the ninth State to ratify the Constitution. Since there were thirteen states, and since three quarters of them were required to ratify the Constitution for it to be adopted, July 2, 1788 marked the first day of operation of our new Constitutional Republic when the Confederation Congress formed a committee "for putting the said Constitution into operation."

The second of July. Now that's a good day to celebrate.

Trackposted to Stop the ACLU, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, McCain Blogs, The World According to Carl, Shadowscope, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Big Dog's Weblog, The Amboy Times, Democrat=Socialist, Dumb Ox Daily News, and Conservative Cat, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.