Portland Man: Every year on the 4th of July, I urge people to actually read the Declaration of Independence. I make that same suggestion today.

Every year on the 4th of July, I urge people to actually read the Declaration of Independence. I make that same suggestion today.

I don't mean to read a summary of it. I don't mean read the preamble to it. I mean, read the entire thing. It'll take you about ten minutes. Here it is: www.archives.gov/founding-doc...

Declaration of Independence: A Transcriptionwww.archives.gov Note: The following text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.) The spelling

The paragraph that we've all been made to read comes next, and it makes some very noble promises. All men are created equal. All men are endowed with inalienable rights to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Next, Jefferson says that government is created to secure these rights for individuals. This is an astounding turn for the eighteenth century, in fact, I think it is astounding today. Let's dwell on that a moment. The purpose of government is to protect our rights as individuals. That's IMPORTANT.

Historically, when people in government have done things that increase individual liberties, we have considered this heroic and praiseworthy. Washington. Lincoln. Roosevelt. King. Ginsburg.

None of these people were perfect. None of these efforts were perfectly successful. None of these changes were accomplished by those heroic figures alone. Far from it.

Nevertheless, these people are avatars for using the government to enhance liberty. You know who we do not celebrate as we look back in history? People who cut our taxes. No one cares about marginal tax rates forty years ago. Cutting taxes isn't heroic.

lol washington, lincoln, and roosevelt were all genocidaires

ginsburg was extremely racist

no mention that the DoI opens with extreme overt racism?

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