Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence, a document signed by about fifty-six delegates to pass grievances of the thirteen colonies against King George the III of Great Britain, formed the current United States. The content of the Declaration, though written several years ago, has remained a powerful instrument of liberty for several societies around the world seeking freedom from their oppressors (Becker, 2017). Though there are no precise subdivisions within the document, it has subsections addressing key issues right from the introduction to the conclusion.

The introduction starts with a powerful statement that informs Great Britain why the colonies need to set themselves free from the rule of King George III and his government. In the same account, reference is made to God as well as the Laws of Nature, indicating that the writers indeed recognized the existence of religious freedom as well as the essential liberty bestowed upon every human being by nature. The mention of God is not specific, which makes the statement relevant among all societies of diverse religious backgrounds. The last part of the introduction addresses the oppressor directly when the writers say: “decent respect to opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” The writers acknowledge that it is respectable that every society should explain to their ruler why they need to be set free when they feel they need to be independent (Shestokas, 2017).

From the introduction, the Declaration jumps into the preamble section, where the document addresses the fundamental human rights. It outlines necessary social privileges such as the right to live, freedom, as well as to pursue individual happiness.  In my opinion, this is the most crucial section of the Declaration because it sets the pace for self-identity and recognition of human dignity. When the writers state that: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal,” they bring out the sense of equality among all people. This statement was not only fit at the time the colonies needed separation from Great Britain but was also useful for the future societies that all human races are equal and need to be treated with respect whatever values or truths they hold for themselves (Brown, 2017).

The Declaration goes ahead to emphasize that these fundamental rights to human beings are portioned equally to everyone and that no one has the right to take them away. The document states that the government does not give these rights but is instead instituted to protect them. By saying this, the writers were informing their oppressors that they are aware of their fundamental rights as people. When Great Britain fails to protect such rights, which to themselves they hold so dearly, then they have no option but to break away from such oppressions. The document identifies that any government of whatever nature draws its power from the people who put it in place and is mandated to protect the rights of those people who constituted it. Further, it goes ahead to state that when people become dissatisfied with how the government carries out its affairs, they are free to overthrow that rule and put in place a new one (Shestokas, 2017). In this regard, the founders of the document set the pace for revolution against lousy governance and squarely place the power on the hands of any group to determine how they are governed.

The indictment section that follows outlines all forms of the injustices that the colonies have suffered in the rule of the King of Great Britain. The author of the Declaration, Jefferson, states that the government of Great Britain is a repeated history of injustices and injuries, which constitute tyranny over the states. The founders say that they were left with no choice but declare themselves independent. This part of the Declaration reverberates the initial statement that acknowledged the need to explain the reason for separation. This is ironical because the founders do not request their oppressor’s permission to break away, but instead, they say they have no other choice. This statement sends a strong message that continues to apply ages after the Declaration that there is no form of any barrier that can delay the freedom of a society when the people so decide.

In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence remains a powerful tool of reference for many societies seeking freedom from their oppressors. The Declaration formed the basis of the fundamental human rights, which have continued to apply even in the present form of governance for several administrations (Becker, 2017).  The founders of the Declaration of Independence put their lives at risk by being the voices of their people to reject the tyrant rule of Great Britain. Every individual must borrow a leaf from the authoritative statement of the scholars touching on the bill of rights, governance, life, liberty, and happiness.

References:

Becker, C. (2017). The Declaration of Independence. Altenmünster: Jazzybee Verlag.

Brown, R. D. (2017). The Declaration of Independence and the Mystery of Equality. Self-Evident Truths. doi: 10.12987/yale/9780300197112.003.0001

Shestokas, D. (2017). Creating the Declaration of Independence. Lemont, IL: Constitutionally Speaking.