IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
hen in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another 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, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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.....'
Continuing its thought, this document (often confused as text from the U.S Constitution by prominent Republican political leaders ) allows for the full redress of grievances held by the citizenry against perceived tyrannical rules enacted through Congressional Law, including:
'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.'
The 'ends', of course, refer to the words recently uttered by Speaker Boehner......'Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.'
One wonders what noble deeds might be accomplished if these words functioned as the blueprint of said deeds---Congressional Law and Congressional behavior coming directly under the auspices of our rather magnificent Declaration of Independence. It is difficult to conceive of these days.
In his troubling speech, Speaker Boehner encourages people to believe it is a pursuit of life liberty, etc. to join him in his noble fight against President Obama's Health Care plan. Do everything your Republican Party can to make Obama a one-term President--that's the ticket.
This infantile screaming about 'the government takeover of healthcare' simply is not sound, representative behavior when Boehner's Republican Party front runner for President in 2012 enacted a similar plan in his home state of Massachusetts. It had some initial bumps, but still regarded by many as a success and possible model for the Nation. So, what is the problem?
Approximately 300,000 more Massachusetts residents are insured today than were covered in 2006 because of presidential candidate Romney. In addition to the state plans, some are insured through federal programs like Medicare. Businesses haven't balked at the fees or left the state, as some critics had warned. And insurance companies say that while they're not raking in significant profits, their bottom lines are edging upward. Apparently, a good foundation from which to chisel a comparable, fair national system.
So, why would our good Speaker and his Republican followers followers wish to deprive the United States citizenry of an already designed, inclusive health plan? After all, a healthy nation is a productive nation. And proactive health care saves millions of employer down-time dollars.
These people who are advocating for the destruction of such a system, the very same people who promote the evisceration of Medicare, need to be careful the next time one of them waves the Declaration of Independence around in such a cavalier manner---the public may act accordingly as they wake up to the realization of this egregious abridgment of their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Already there are groups emerging calling for a Constitutional Convention, and others who have a much more promising and well organized approach. Something to think about.
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