Posted on 05/15/2003 1:18:48 AM PDT by 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.
Aristotle considerd the ability to reason to be the highest attribute of mankind. Therefore, he considered the ability to reason and to act in accord with reason to be essential in achieving human happiness.
Maybe a better translation would be "to live in freedom and to pursue the proper desires of their hearts," "to live in freedom in order to be able to lead a virtuous life," or "to live in freedom in order to be able to act in accord with reason."
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.
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 COURT becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish CORRECT it, and to REinstitute FEDERALISM 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 JUDGES Governments long established should not be changed IMPEACHED for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by IMPEACHING JUDGES 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 JUDICIAL Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government IMPEACH & REMOVE, and to provide new Guards JUDGES for their future security.
TREASON AT THE 9th CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS Arthur Alarcón, Diarmuid O'Scannlain and Ronald Gould are foul men and grotesque judges. They are a disgrace to their profession and an insult to America. They should be impeached immediately and should never again hold any public office in this land.
I'm busy the night tame is having that dinner party!;-)
tame - Good job.
You wrote : "...that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..."
And your translation is "...these include the right of the people to live life in freedom (without undue harm), and pursue their dreams and goals."
Tame, the unalienable right to Life is far more than a right to privacy or a right to live in freedom, it is the right to be alive because your Creator granted to You LIFE and you remain innocent toward your Creator in that Life; the unalienable right to LIFE is the the unalienable right to not be arbitrarily killed due to some ruling passed by a legislature which dehumanizes a class of humans to which you may fit due to color of skin or age or location, etc. That may not seem like much to you on this thread, but a poster named P_A_I on another thread has tried to alter the clear wording of the DI to read 'right to private life, in order to speciously support the unsidedown spin of the syllogistic flow/the superiority of rights asserted with the positioning in 'Life (first), (then) Liberty, and the (finally) pursuit of Happiness'.
Ah, my friend, but here we enter some very deep waters.
Well, perhaps, but we must remember that this document was written in the 18th century with the 17th century less than 100 year in the past; a time well within the remembrance of the writers' parents and grandparents.
IMHO when the term "Life" was used it meant not life as in the biological sense, e.g. growing, breathing, responding to stimui, etc. Instead, it meant life as a person's/personal activities, fortune and/or manner of being. That my life belongs to me, and your life belongs to you and John Doe's life belongs to him -- not to any prince, king, czar, emperor, etc. to whom subjects, not individuals, to be moved around, dictated to, disposed of however the sovereign wished.
Two examples:
-In several German kingdoms of that time and before, whatever religion the current monarch was so to, automatically, were the people- like it or not. Prince X is Catholic ergo everyone in his realm was now Catholic. He dies and his cousin Prince Y , a Luthern, now rules well, then, everyone in the kindgom is **POOF** a Luthern, like it or not.
- When Peter the Great of Russia built St. Petersburg entire towns and cities were uprooted and transplanted to the czar's new city- like it or not.
"Life,Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness", when looked at through 18th century eyes, meant freedom from the role of pawn on a royal chess board.
I agree
A better and true translation
YES! You're absolutely correct! Why did I write "fry"???
Oh, well. I'll correct in later editions.
Exactly:-) The founding fathers were certainly considered as much. I have a hunch Jefferson would have found our modern state to be worse than that of which he wrote.
Are you a part of the vast right-wing conspiracy?
Okay. Why not:-)
I don't think the phrase "pursuit of happiness" directly translates to pursuing "dreams and goals."
The phrase "dreams and goals" emncompasses much of the pursuit of happiness.
Jefferson borrowed the concept from Aristotle.
I was not completely content with my translation on that point, but I think t serves the purpose.
I offer the following not to diminish, but maybe even add to your thoughts:
Jefferson's language was influenced by many of the great thinkers with which he was familiar, especially in Greek thought. In his use of "the pursuit of happiness" I think he also employed concepts regarding industry and private "property" rights, and the satisfaction to be found in pursuit of the same.
Aristotle considered "happiness" to be the ultimate end for all people...Aristotle considerd the ability to reason to be the highest attribute of mankind. Therefore, he considered the ability to reason and to act in accord with reason to be essential in achieving human happiness.
Not knowing which work of Aristotle (and Jefferson's influence) your referring to, I think my translation seems consistent with your statement, as the said abilities to act in accord with reason are certainly dreams and goals of reasoble men for a perfect union.
Maybe a better translation would be "to live in freedom and to pursue the proper desires of their hearts," "to live in freedom in order to be able to lead a virtuous life," or "to live in freedom in order to be able to act in accord with reason."
I like it, but again (if I'm correct) Jefferson had the pursuit of industry and property very much in mind when writing his phrase.
I'll defintely kick this around and continue researching. Thanks again!
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