The Declaration of Independence for Dummies, Part 1

tame | Thursday, May 15, 2003 | tame

[tame]

While learning the Declaration Of independence by heart, I realized that many readers may "pass over" so many of the beautiful phrases without really grasping their meaning. Therefore, I have endeavored to offer the following "Declaration of Independence for Dummies" in "street corner English".

Actual words/phrases of the Declaration of Independence will be italicized, with my simpler translation following on normal font. Here Goes:

”When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary or one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another...”

Whenever a group of people needs to split from their government...

”...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...”

...and assert their God given independence and equality...

”...a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the seperation.”

It’s always important to spell out the reasons why.

”...We hold these truths to be self-evident...”

We think it’s pretty obvious...

...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights...

...that God created every person equal, and he gave each person specific unchanging rights which should never be trampled upon...

”...that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...

...these include the right of the people to live life in freedom (without undue harm), and pursue their dreams and goals.

”–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...”

The very reason we have man-made governments is to protect these rights, not to interfere with them. Furthermore, whatever power and authority governments have are given by the people’s permission and limited to their protection.

”...that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people the alter or to abolish it...”

When any government starts to undermine the very purpose of protecting the life, freedoms, and happiness of the people, then they have the right change the government or, yes, even to pull the plug on the government if things get too bad.

”...and to institute new government, laying it’s foundation on such principles, and organizing it’s powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

The people have the right to set up a newer, better government based and organized on tried and true rules that protect, rather than threaten, their safety and happiness.

”Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes;”

Now, it’s not wise to change a long standing government for some trivial or fleeting reason or for the latest political fad;

”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.”

And, in fact, history shows that people are more likely to put up with unbearable evil (They even get used to it!), than they are to correct the problem. You know the saying: Put a frog in hot water and he’ll jump out. But put him in cool water and gradually turn up the heat, and he’ll fry to death.

”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.”

But when a government becomes tyrannical and abusive with consistent, repeated violations of the people’s rights, with the intent to make them slaves of the state, then the people have the right–in fact, the duty to revolt against the government, and put new rules in place to protect their future rights.

[tame]

Your thoughts and insights could benefit us all. If you have an alternative phrasing fell free to shae it.

[tame]

I offer the following for your review

[goldstategop]

Bravo. Have you thought about publishing this in the world famous Dummies series of guides? You know, the one with the bright yellow covers.

[tame]

Could you please trouble shoot this for me? Would it be good in the classroom?

[tame]

Thank you:-) I thought about it.

[tame]

heads up

[tame]

Trouble shoot please:-)

[tame]

Trouble shoot this one, please.

[tame]

Good morning! Long time no see:-)

[tame]

Hi, Gracie! Missed you last Friday at Blackstone and Shaw. Hope to see you around. Here's something for your pleasure.

[tame]

Hi, fellow Fresnans! Enjoy!

[tame]

Thought on this?

[David Isaac]

In these present days, we had better be careful of that which we espouse. Your translation is very good, but the words could be considered seditious by many. Are you a part of the vast right-wing conspiracy? It is not too much of a stretch to consider the government spoken of in that great document, to be our present one. (Or was that the point?)

Lives, fortunes, and sacred honor have been lost before in the fight against tyranny and will, undoubtedly, be lost again.

[backhoe]

Good morning, tame- at a fast glance your essay looks good- more people need to ponder things in such a fashion.

[error99]

The Declaration of Independence is a such great document.
It is too bad that so much of it was never actually written into law.

[corlorde]

Great post!

[mc5cents]

Could be a chapter in here...

[brityank]

Nicely done.

(Psst! Frogs boil in hot water.)

:^)

[GretchenEE]

bump for thorough read

[MSSC6644]

As a former teacher of high school American literature, I would have my A track students try to write the Declaration in their own words. The exercise had many benefits. No matter how long they worked on it, they eventually realized that the assignment was a trick: Jefferson wrote a perfect document.

Yours is a good explanation, though.