The+Declaration+of+Independence

The forefathers of our country dreamed of a national government that encouraged a new life free from the oppresive rule of England, and as a result of this aspiration, Thomas Jefferson wrote up the Declaration of Independence. While this document holds prodigious historical value, modern America remains unaware of the meaning of its content, and consequently, most citizens do not understand the original purpose of their government. If they would just take the time to comprehend the reasons why the declaration was created, Americans would realize that their ruling authorities often violate the restrictions determined by this nation's ancestry. Instead of allowing their legislature to manipulate them, the residents of this country should stimulate a federal reform in which they control the government that makes the laws that affect their daily lives. Not only can the knowledge gained through understanding the Declaration of Independence rescue the United States from indirect political tyranny, but it also can enlighten its readers of the history that unfolded before and after it was developed. People can grasp the potential application the declaration contains currently and in days past if they simply study what it means to them, and by doing this, they can forge a better life for themselves and their children.

The purpose of the government of the United States is clearly stated in the Declaration of Independence, but the original function has not been the guideline by which the government operates today. In the declaration, Thomas Jefferson wrote, "All men...are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it", and unfortunately, the governing body that exists today has become what Jefferson spoke against centuries ago. Instead of enabling Americans to follow their dreams, legislature allows the hopes to be stifled by the false happiness offered by sex, money, and the 'American Dream', and sadly, most believe that these truly can satisfy them. America also encroaches upon its citizens' right to life by being incapable to respond reasonably in the face of a natural disaster, refusing unborn babies the chance to enter the world, and sending soldiers devoted to their country into harm's way without concrete reasons for doing so.While liberty remains prominent in this country, freedom has been prompted by law to include aspects unforeseen by Jefferson and his collegues such as the approval of inappropriate clothing that provokes sexual harrassment, the accepted absence of the Christian foundations by which this republic was established, and the toleration of the beguiling actions committed by financial institutions towards the populace of The United States. Instead of vouching for their rights, the government Americans elected into office gradually deteriorates the virtues once known to be "self-evident" in the time when the declaration was written.

In order for change to take place, Americans must become proactive in their government today and fight for the same rights their predecessors struggled to obtain in the colonial era. In the days of the Revolution, settlers who sought a better life on new soil were met with political difficulty with their King, but instead of waiting for someone else to take action, people like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams decided to rationally deal with the issues they encountered. Oddly, even though the heros of America's past acted wisely in response to their trying situation, today's "mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed", as the Declaration of Independence states. It is human nature to feel one's voice cannot make a difference in the presence of a colossal assembly, but if no one overcomes that quality of their being, nothing is said at all. When political improvement arrives, it will be because several individuals decided to unite and fight for their cause instead of just whine about their problems, but all this cannot be done without order. Anything that begins in disorder will end in disorder, and so "it becomes necessary...that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation" instead of just randomly rebelling against authority. The government is supposed to work for America and not the other way around, but if citizens are to reverse the roles back to what they were meant to be, they need to continuosly labor in their efforts to gain justice.

The Declaration of Independence not only teaches people today how to go about in politics, but it also shows them a little more on the history of the nation. The patriots who took part in this separation from the English government truly put their lives at stake, for many of them were financially well off without needing to resort to a revolution. The injustices the King of Great Britain were so numerous and apparent, though, that even the aristocracy of America found themselves indignified by his cruel reign. They knew all the risks that would result from rebelling from their mother nation, but they took the chance and, soon afterwards, entered the fight for a new nation, the United States of America, with no advantage other than the fact that they knew the land well. The Revolutionary War exacted its toll on the American population, but despite the terrible losses they suffered and the overwhelming odds, they still emerged victorious in battle and in freedom from the tyrrany of English rule. America, with a substantially lesser amount of troops, supplies, and weaponry, managed to earn its right to exist as a nation among great powers, and like America in the past, America today must earn their civil rights, no matter what obstacles it might face.

The Declaration of Independence was written over 230 years ago, but its content still means a lot to modern American society in many ways. It reveals the injustice that exists in American government now by describing the wrongs committed by the English government at the time of its creation. It also can awaken citizens to the reality that nothing will happen in their favor if they don't say or do anything to insert their own opinions on how things should be. The history behind the document can teach them about making a conscious effort to bring about change like their ancestors did. The declaration holds much value to American life today, and all it takes to access this potential is reading it.