Essay on It’s Time to Put The Independence Back In...

It’s Time to Put The Independence Back In Independence Day â€Å"Jefferson and Washington fought a war for the principle of independence, meaning the moral right of an individual to live his own life as he sees fit.† - Michael S. Berliner Every Fourth of July Americas cities and towns fill with parades and fireworks, celebrating the Fourth of July, the birthday of America. But one hopes that--on the next Independence Day--the speeches will contain fewer bromides and more attention to exactly what is being celebrated. The Fourth of July is Independence Day, but Americas leaders and intellectuals have been trying to move us further and further away from the meaning of Independence Day, away from the philosophy that created this†¦show more content†¦In fact, Britains tyranny over the colonists was mild compared to what most current governments do to their citizens. Jefferson and Washington fought a war for the principle of independence, meaning the moral right of an individual to live his own life as he sees fit. Independence was proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence as the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What are these rights? The right to life means that every individual has a right to his own independent life, that ones life belongs to oneself, not to others to use as they see fit. The right to liberty means the right to freedom of action, to act on ones own judgment, the right not to have a gun pointed at ones head and be forced to do what someone else commands. And the right to the pursuit of happiness means that an individual may properly pursue his own happiness, e.g., his own career, friends, hobbies, and not exist as a mere tool to serve the goals of others. The Founding Fathers did not proclaim a right to the attainment of happiness, knowing full well that such a policy would carry with it the obligation of others to make one happy and result in the enslavement of all to all. The Declaration of Independence was a declaration against servitude, not just servitude to the Crown but servitude to anyone. (That some signers still owned slaves does not negate the fact that they established theShow MoreRelatedPutting Elderly Parents in Anursing Home1148 Words   |  5 Pagesalmost absolutely come a day when your parents will need you. When this time comes, they will probably not admit that they need you or anyone else for that matter, but in reality, they will definitely need someone. If you look back to your childhood it’s quite similar to those days they had to care for you. They took care of your every need from bathing, feeding and dressing you appropriately. Those days you may not remember as well as they do but they happened. The days that they were responsibleRead MoreIndependence Day1172 Words   |  5 PagesOn this Special Day I would like to recollect the words of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on the eve of India’s Independence. â€Å"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we will redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance .... We end today a period of ill fortune, and IndiaRead MoreDaycare : A Great Education, And A Healthy Upbringing Essay1276 Words   |  6 PagesYou just had your first child and you’ve been at home for six months with them; nourishing and loving them. But then you realize that it’s time to go back to work and you need to put your child in a daycare. You can no longer afford being out of work. You are worried about how your child will react to a new surrounding and strangers. At this moment, you must make a big decision; whither or not you want your child to attend daycare or not. As a parent, you want your child to have every great oppor tunityRead MoreLove and Relationships Versus Independence: Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes were Watching God1407 Words   |  6 Pagestheir own independence. In most cases that could be true, but if the one you are seeking and expecting love from is not treating you with respect, how is love more important? The journey of finding love could be a great one but if deep down inside you are aware of your unhappiness, then YOUR independence should be what matters. Zora Neale Hurston’s message with the theme of Love Relationships vs. Independence is to never rush into finding love until you are ready. Your independence may bringRead MoreReflection On Professionalism1597 Words   |  7 Pageshow to represent yourself as a professional black woman in the medical and mental health field. Relating back to my opening statements, I believe that my general experience in the work field also at a young age shaped my professionalism. At 16-years-old I was forced to learn the chain of command, conflict resolution, and mannerism in a profession, a few ethical guidelines and the potency of time. Foreseeing my experience, mostly recently, working in a residential behavior health facility gave me anRead MoreFailure to Launch663 Words   |  3 Pagesliving in their parents home well into their late 20s to early 30s—is proposed to be a result of many different reasons. Spend some time reading what experts suggest about this trend and address at least 2 reasons suggested. Recent research has shown that more young adults are moving back home with their parents. This has been the case in the past and now it’s no different. There are several reasons for why young adults have returned home after leaving. In a presentation by Dr. Brooks she clearlyRead MoreA Day For Celebrating The Nation s Freedom928 Words   |  4 PagesDeclaration of Independence, He proclaimed that all men are created equal. And to this came the big debate as to what it’s meant to be an American, have freedom and live equally among other Americans. July fifth, 1852, sum seventy six years later, Frederick Douglass addresses the public after the day of what today is called Fourth of July, a day for celebrating the nation’s freedom; criticizing so called American for enslaving colored people and the abused that went along with it. He called it a day for mourningRead MoreWhat to the Slave Is the Fourth of July a Rhetorical Analysis1100 Words   |  5 PagesDeclaratio n of Independence, instead of the Declaration of Independence, to stress the separation between his people and those who are not oppressed. In the next paragraph, he continues to ask rhetorical questions. The purpose of all these questions is to give the audience the perspective that what is suggested is not truly so. He did not choose to give a speech on the holiday that his people are reminded of the injustice forced upon them in order to express gratitude and joy for the independence of AmericaRead MoreThe Constitutional Convention Of The United States Essay1654 Words   |  7 Pagesone would have ever imaged. That solution would be the Constitutional Convention, taking place from May to September of 1787 in Philadelphia. This convention would result in our Constitution, the living, breathing, vital document we still use to this day. Throughout its early years, America didn’t have many rules that it was governed by. Henry Knox once declared, â€Å"Our present federal government is a name, a shadow, without power, or effect.† Under the rules of the Articles of Confederation, the governmentRead MoreSurprisingly Women Have Always Played A Big Part In Ghana’S1713 Words   |  7 Pageswin the struggle for socio-economic and political independence, so to say.† Mildred Assifuah had wrote this to show that women played a big role in Ghana’s independence before and after it. Women in fact did play a big part in helping to achieve Ghana’s independence. The women activist made sure they were everywhere Nkrumah and the CPP was, whether it was at political campaigns or even the meetings Nkrumah and the CPP attended. Before independence and before being colonized, the Ghanaian people felt