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Politics | July 2, 2009

Find out what you're celebrating

Patricia O'Malley's photo
Pittsburgh Public Policy Examiner

Community Matters              This weekend, Americans will celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence with picnics, parades, and fireworks. In the movie National Treasure, Nicholas Cage’s character steals the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives in order to protect it from the real bad guys.  It’s a good movie, but it never really explains what the declaration is.

              Saturday marks the 233rd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress – 56 citizens of the thirteen British colonies in the New World – published a document written by Thomas Jefferson.  In it, they declared their independence from British rule and their intent to create a new nation. It was the first time anyone ever dared to try such a bold move.

               The Declaration of Independence is not, and has never been, a law. It is a letter to King George III from the Continental Congress telling him that they were seceding from the empire and listing their reasons for doing so. The king was not pleased, to say the least.  This act of treason sparked the Revolutionary War and, eventually, the United States of America. 

               After the war and a relatively brief bout with the Articles of Confederation, Congress wrote and adopted the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787. It is the oldest continuously functioning constitution in the world and it is the basis for every law in the United States. It includes many of the principles stated in the Declaration.
 
               Unfortunately, most schools do an abysmal job of teaching American history and civics. Consequently, most Americans think we have legal rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. We do not. That phrase is in the Declaration, not the Constitution. There is no such law.
 
               Few Americans have read the Declaration, but it's well worth your time. I know.  You’ve always meant to read it “someday”. This is your chance. While you’re attending parades, eating hot dogs, and watching fireworks this weekend, please take a moment to reflect on what this means to you. Enjoy!
 
·       You can read the Declaration of Independence at www.constitutionfacts.org.
·       For more information, go to www.usa.gov or www.ushistory.org.
 
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Pittsburgh Public Policy Examiner

Pat O'Malley has been a social service provider and public policy advocate since 1982. She is now a freelance writer and consultant for nonprofit...

Comments

  • Dave Brown 2 years ago
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    I often think of the Declaration as defining the principles of our government and the Constitution as how we implement those principles in the structure of our government. Neither the Constitution nor any law should ever violate our "inalienable" rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; else we would have the duty to revolt against any new King George that may appear. So, the Declaration supersedes the Constitution. I use this argument when I talk about gay marriage. What is more integral to the pursuit of happiness than who you love and marry?

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