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Quote of the Week
Newsletter Archive
for July 3, 2003
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Power Quotes
for Business from WriteWorks Agency
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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 are Life, Liberty and
the pursuit of Happiness.
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... That to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government
becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to
alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government ... to provide
new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance
of these colonies; and such is now the necessity
which constrains them to alter their former systems of
government.
— Excerpts from The Declaration of Independence
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Key Point
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Perhaps
you noticed -- the founders of the United States government were rebels. Rebellion,
generally viewed as a negative thing, is sometimes a necessary thing.
The authors of The Declaration of Independence were specific and
detailed, putting down on paper a thorough list of compelling reasons
for rising up against the government that controlled them. Twenty-seven
grievances in all! Any one of these grievances, were they based on
current events, would make the blood of a modern American citizen boil.
You can almost sense the trepidation in their declaration ... They knew
the gravity of their actions. Look at how they closed the document:
"For the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the
protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to
each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor."
Whenever
something so serious and life altering occurs as a revolt against one's
government, I suppose it's unrealistic to expect unanimity. Many
people, in our land and others, voiced their concerns about our
organized rebellion, called the war of independence by some -- the
revolutionary war by others. Was it a declaration of independence? Or
was it the collective acts of rebels? Depends on who you asked.
What
about now? I look at what the United States is doing in the world
today, working to free Iraq and Afghanistan from tyrannical leadership
and set up new governments in those countries that derive "their
just powers from the consent of the governed," to quote our
Declaration of Independence. I also hear the grievances of those who
question our motives for these actions. Looking at our own history, I
can't help but think we will only universally appreciate the worth of
these efforts when they are mere passages in history books.
If
these new governments succeed, we could be witnessing today the seeds
of future democracies rivaling our own in social, moral and economic
impact on the world. I see many people voicing frustrations over the
time it's taking in Afghanistan and Iraq to, as our founders put
it in regards to the colonies, "provide new guards for their
future security." Yet are we not still counting in weeks how much
time has passed since the war's end in those countries? Not months. Not
years. If you look at the history of our own great country, you can see
that it took years -- even decades -- to firmly
establish domestic tranquility and economic stability.
On
this July 4th, I will celebrate our many freedoms in these United States. Among them; my right to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. Sure, I plan to grill a hot dog or two and enjoy a fireworks
show with friends and relatives. But I will also use this day to honor
the sacrifices made by our predecessors throughout the past two
centuries, sacrifices that continue to be made today by American troops
now stationed throughout the world. On this day, I'm
reminded that I'm proud to be an American. Are you?
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What is Your Favorite Quote?
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Do you have a favorite quote that has either served you
inspirationally in the workplace or has been a nice bit of spice in
speech or in writing? Write
and tell us about it. We may feature your quote in a future issue
to inspire others.
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Copyright 2002
WriteWorks Inc.
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