[ex-snook]

It is inevitable that government grow more oppressive and controlling?

Direct this to the Supreme Court and I'd sign.

[So Cal Rocket]

"... the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them ..."

"... that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights ..."

"... appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world ..."

"... with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence ..."

Alas, if this were sent to the Supreme Court they would strike it down as being unconstitutional.

[bandleader]

Buggerations,We've got an "Activist"Supreme Court!Who'd a Thunk It???

[DAnconia55]

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

Missed this part, did we?

[Jim Noble]

This is, you should pardon the expression, crap.

Our representatives have the power to put a stop to all this nonsense immediately and effectively-the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction over matters on appeal, other than as Congress allows, as this case makes clear.

Get Congress to do its job.

[Madame Dufarge]

As an interesting aside (at least to me):

Background:

The Second Continental Congress was remarkable for several things, not the least of which was selecting George Washington as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, being created to fight the British Army assembled at Boston. You will recall that the Boston Massacre and events at Lexington, Concord and Breeds Hill (next to Bunker Hill) had only recently stirred up the fighting in the northeastern colonies. Once the business of creating an army was taken care of, it was deemed necessary to inform the world of the reasons why the colonies had taken up arms. The first attempt at drafting such a declaration was by Thomas Jefferson, but was ruled far too militant. A second attempt was made by Colonel John Dickinson, known for earlier pamphlets in which he called himself "The Farmer."

The final result was apparently a combination of both writers. Stange that Dickinson should create such a document; he was under considerable pressure from his wife and mother, both Tory sympathizers, and he was no great fan of the New England representatives to Congress. An incident related in A New Age Now Begins by Page Smith, marks him as an even more unlikely choice for the writer of such a declaration: "Dickinson once more had his way when Congress approved still another petition to the King. Dickinson was delighted when it passed and rose to express his pleasure. There was only one word to which he objected, since it might possible offend His Majesty, and that was the word "Congress."

Whereupon Benjamin Harrison of Virginia promptly rose and, inclining his head to John Hancock, declared, "There is but one word in the paper, Mr. President, of which I approve, and that is the word "Congress."

Following is the complete text of that document published almost exactly a year before the Declaration of Independence:

Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms - July 6, 1775