"Deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed"
Straight Talk with Sam
Thomas Jefferson is arguably the most important person in American history.
He executed one of our biggest ever land deals, he forged alliances with foreign powers that were critical to the survival of our union, and his philosophies on liberty and self-governance became central tenants of the U.S. Constitution.
But of all his accomplishments, perhaps most important was when he put down these 55 words in the Declaration of Independence.
"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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
On this, the anniversary of our Independence, Jefferson's words remain as true today as they were 241 years ago. The guiding principle of this experiment in representative Democracy is that our government derives its powers from those it governs.
We still adhere to the beliefs that all men are created equal. Regardless of our occupation, wealth, background or origin, we all have the same freedom of opportunity, and the decisions of those in government can never change that.
But from Thomas Jefferson to Ronald Reagan, the greatest political minds in our country have held onto the belief that nothing is guaranteed, that we are promised nothing if the people do not stand up and force its government to uphold that principle.
In his address to the 1964 Republican National Convention, Ronald Reagan famously reminded us that "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction."
On this July 4th, we must remember the role we all have to play in preserving our freedoms. Otherwise, as President Reagan said, "One day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."
Sincerely,
Sam Graves