NEWT GINGRICH: The Declaration still terrifies socialists and tyrants, here and abroad
This Fourth of July matters more than most for three reasons.
First, it is the historic 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration is the most radical political document ever written. It challenged millennia of thought about monarchs having rights and commoners being mere subjects, peasants, or even slaves. Suddenly, people on the edge of a continent decided that they would challenge the entire system that dominated their world. Kings, czars and emperors were put on notice that power did not come from them; it came from God.
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The single phrase, "We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," enunciated a transfer of authority and power from the head of government to the citizen. It declared that all of us have the same rights as a king or emperor because rights come from God and not from earthly rulers.
The central importance of the Declaration was made clear by President Abraham Lincoln on Nov. 19, 1863, while dedicating the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg. He reinforced the concept of the Declaration in a single lyrical phrase, "government of the people, by the people, and for the people."
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While America has not always lived up to the promise of the Declaration, or to Lincoln’s explanation of it, there has been a continuous struggle to build a government based on the citizen and not on the powerful.
In 1776, the elites around the world were sure the Americans were a temporary blip. They had no idea that Thomas Jefferson’s "Empire of Liberty" would become real and ultimately the most powerful, wealthiest, and diverse country in history.
Celebrating the joy of this achievement and taking a moment to thank God for the strength he has given to freedom and America is, in itself, a good reason to celebrate the Fourth of July.
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Second, this 250th anniversary is occurring at a time when there is a serious anti-American movement gaining ground in elections and public opinion. We have a growing faction of anti-American militants who want to replace America with a big government, socialist system built around values that 75 to 85% of the American people repudiate and think are crazy. Celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and emphasizing the historic truths that are embedded in that amazing document is a powerful counterstatement to the rising socialist effort to replace America with a nightmare of radical left-wing tyranny.
Third, the world is, in many ways, hanging in the balance between freedom and totalitarianism. This reminder of the value and power of freedom is timely and important. Around the world, people are torn between the dictatorial power of China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, and others, and the dramatically more open, chaotic, and debate-ridden system of freedom for which America and its allies stand. Celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence is a good way of reminding people that there are eternal values of freedom that they can use to improve their own lives and countries.
The bigger our celebration, the more people around the world will notice and learn about America’s legacy of freedom and liberty.