The true meaning of independence

As we observe the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this Fourth of July, we should consider the unique form of government for which our Founding Fathers chose to risk “their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor” against the seemingly-invincible British.

The definitive passage in the declaration reads: “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 rights 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.”

In these 57 words, the founders established that:

— Our rights — better understood as “freedoms” — are given to us by a power higher than government. No matter what you believe about the origins of life, it is undeniable that government did not give us life.

— Government’s legitimate purpose is to protect the rights of the people. Just as government did not give us life, it did not give us our rights.

— Because freedom is ours as individuals, government’s only legitimate powers are those which the people choose to allow.

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