The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence
The location of these words at the beginning of the document, immediately after a brief introduction, plays an important role in the establishment of the three fundamental presumptions that are conspicuously “Self-Evident”. Alternatively, the emphasis of the nature of the presumptions is made to the effect that they are undoubtedly “Truths,” which makes the document virtually acceptable and authenticated. It is perhaps one of the strongest prefaces that a document could be given based on the foundation of the guiding principles of the national document of this nature. While a national resolve to unite people in following a certain course of action may be and has been in many countries, hijacked by some greedy leaders, the USA set it right from the beginning on these strong tenets. The building of the world’s most stable democracy did not begin from nowhere but from the establishment of the foundation based on self-evident truths that cannot be ignored. The inclusion of inalienability of the proposed human rights as the basic driving force for the push by the American people to be independent gives the course an impetus that cannot be stopped. It must have been a strategic deliberation to include the inalienability concept as a motivation of the American pledge to rally behind every human resource that they had to make it happen. Besides equality of all men, the other most important inclusions in the document are the three concepts of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness (IHA, 1995).
Based on the fundamental proposition of equality of all men, the Declaration of Independence was able to convince the populace and the British government of the meaning of the plight of the American people. Without the clarification of the discriminatory feeling that America would be primarily willing to fight against, it would have been difficult to forge a case against the foreign rule. It was perhaps a perfect timing to generate the mood of the development of the rest of the document on the premise that equality of all human beings was not being followed in the environment of the British rule. Citing several occasions where the self-evident truth and concept of equality in humanity, the document was projected to make the strongest case against the British rule.
Conspicuous in the truths being championed for in form of the unalienable conviction is right to life. Life is perhaps the most important right whose guarantee and protection makes virtually every human action the best mitigation before any the other reason (Bond, 2009). Loss of life through human recklessness is a case of war worth any sacrifice by the human race in a bid to protect its dignity. Having demonstrated the importance of life to the human race and particularly the American populace, it was a consideration worth a mention in the Declaration of Independence that was a dignified course for protection of Americans’ dignity. Secondly, liberty from all forms of abuse and maligning is also clearly captured in the document. Generally, a course of action highlighting the best of human rights could not separate life and liberty, a case that is well represented in the assumptions of the document. Liberty of human race takes political interpretation at its best, with oppressive regimes being on receiving end.
In the context of the British case, it is perhaps worth to highlight the importance of the liberation of the American people from insensitivity of the regime. A mention of the insensitiveness of the regime in the document augurs well with the course sought by the Declaration of Independence. Thirdly, a perfect addition in the unalienable rights is the pursuit of happiness which has been demonstrated to face a serious obstruction from the British regime. Within the context of an unfair regime, it is perhaps difficult to create an environment where a happy life sought by the American people. Having demonstrated the importance of the concept to the American people, a nexus is generated painting the affliction of the Americans as a construction of the British regime. This makes it a strong case to declare the resolve to be independent for the sake of provision of an environment upholding this unalienable right (Armitage, 2007).
In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence is an important document championing for specific objectives of the American people. To this end, it could only capture the specificity through a mention of the strongest of convictions rooted to the American plight of the day. Perhaps the most important definition of the USA as a model democracy originates from the strongest case of self-evident truths highlighting fundamental human rights. Without life, liberty and championing of a conducive environment for pursuit of happiness, it would not have been easy to better capture the course contained in the document.
References
Armitage, D. (2007) The Declaration of Independence: a global history. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
Bond, R. (2009) “The Declaration of Independence: A Global History.” Journal of American Culture, 1 September 2009.
IHA (1995) “The Declaration of Independence: The Want, Will and Hopes of the People.” Retrieved from: HYPERLINK “http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/” http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/
