Thomas Jefferson Quote

"When forced, therefore, to resort to arms for redress, an appeal to the tribunal of the world was deemed proper for our justification. This was the object of the Declaration of Independence. Not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take. Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion."

by:	Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President
Source:	Thomas Jefferson letter to Henry Lee, May 8, 1825. Ref: Thomas Jefferson: Writings, ed. Merrill D. Peterson (New York: Library of America, 1984), 1500-1501.
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Categories:	America, Mind, Declaration, Independence, Reason, Principle, Spiritual
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There truly is no equal to the Declaration of Independence.  I love the part "it was intended to be an expression of the American mind."  Indeed!  The idea that the individual possessed their natural-born, God-given, inalienable rights was a revolutionary idea.  The claim of the 'divine right of kings' was wholly declared null and void.  This is the true legacy and inheritance of the American Revolution, and the most misunderstood by the rest of the world.  In no other country do the people have this declaration, and their minds are conditioned to remain subjects of their statist ideologies in their many forms.  Only the republican form of government acknowledges and defends the sovereign rights of the people.    -- E Archer, NYC      2
YES ! ! ! The Declaration of Independence was a Notice to the world that the independent / individual free sovereigns abiding within the boundaries of the States united chose to no longer live under philosophies of men tyranny (legal positivism, legal realism, etc. — mingled with a religious Divine right of kings) but rather, to exist and thrive with the "laws of nature and of nature's God".  -- Mike,, Norwalk      2
We need to move forward, not backward. Without a new sentiment of principled justification we shall certainly move towards degeneration.  We need to regenerate the American mind in the direction of self awareness and diverse tolerance.   -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown      3
NO!  No more "Forward' towards a Marxist society!  Enough!    -- E Archer, NYC      1
There is no moving forward from individual liberty. When the rights of an individual are trespassed upon by the good intentions of others and their charitable hearts, it is still an infringement on the rights of the other individual who doesn’t wish to be forced to participate in that charity.   -- Brent, Palm Desert      2
Surely we can understand the logic of the community imperative.  We must logically and responsibly acknowledge our responsibility to the community as a whole, because money itself is not going to provide to much nutritional value.  Clearly, simply, take a quick gander at your thanksgiving feast and try to consider the illogic, the lunacy of your securing all the available portions of the feast for only yourself.  This is just a simple illustration of what is happening with the present economic imbalance that continues, the "liberty" that move "forward."    -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown      1
Mr Archer,  We must have a competent social arrangement where basic housing, nutrition, and a chance for more abundance is taken for granted.   Not this predator arrangement that you take for granted and I face with shear disbelief everyday because I know this is not even close to a human arrangement. Predators offer only graves, humans offer basics and abundance.   -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown      1
We are at no justification to be at liberty to prey on others.   -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown

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