Today, The Fourth of July, Americans celebrate the Declaration of Independence which was formally ratified by the Continental Congress in 1776.  The most important passage to me is:

"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."

Much progress has been made to enshrine these Rights into our everyday lives, and yet, so much more needs to be accomplished to ensure that everyone benefits from these Rights

In the words of John Adams, the Second President of the USA,   in writing to his wife Abigail of how,

“the Second Day of July 1776*, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. … It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever."

Happy Birthday, America!  And here is the National Anthem, sung by that American vocalist, none other than Meat Loaf, who recently passed away.

 

 *The Continental Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence on July 2.

Happy birthday USA, long life USD !

2 hours ago, vinapu said:

Happy birthday USA, long life USD !

According to gayinpattaya, it's already dead 🙄

Happy 4th of July! Please be pet friendly - heavy on the sausage, easy on the fireworks! 😉

3 hours ago, floridarob said:

According to gayinpattaya, it's already dead 🙄

who ? USA or USD or both ?. Definitely there's gross exaggeration on both news

19 hours ago, kokopelli3 said:

"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."

Much progress has been made to enshrine these Rights into our everyday lives, and yet, so much more needs to be accomplished to ensure that everyone benefits from these Rights

Happy Birthday USA! The world has much to be grateful to you for.

But I seriously wonder how much progress has actually been made on that Declaration. It's perfectly clear that, as in many countries, all men and women in the USA are not created equal with those inalienable Rights. 247 years is a long time to make that work. Clearly not long enough.

16 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

Clearly not long enough.

it's because definition of man is changing. Constitution's Fathers would be shocked that it includes  Indians , blacks, women,  perhaps even Irish, no that's too much !

30 minutes ago, vinapu said:

it's because definition of man is changing. Constitution's Fathers would be shocked that it includes  Indians , blacks, women,  perhaps even Irish, no that's too much !

Not wholly accurate, dear @vinapu. Slavery from Africa was introduced to the USA in 1619. A few years earlier, the Pilgrim Fathers met members of the native American Nauset tribe. So the presence of others than white immigrants was well known for over 150 years before Jefferson made his Declaration. Thereafter there have been endless examples of "inalienable rights" being untrue. The genocide of many millions of native Indian tribes who stood in the way of the country's expansion westards. The Jim Crow laws in the south enforcing segregation. This was seemingly an attempt to heal the wounds between the North and South which resulted in the Civil War, but they are still being felt today.

42 million Americns exist on food stamps. Again not unlike other countries, the small number of rich hold much of the country's wealth compared to the poor. In the USA, the top 1% control 32.3% of the wealth; the bottom 50% hold 2.6%. During the covid years, wealth held by US billionaires actually increased by 70%. According to Polifact and other sources, in 2011 the 400 wealthiest Americans had more wealth than half of all American's combined!

I find it rather difficult to align these rights with those about all being born equal and having an equal right to the pursuit of happiness.

 

 

 

;oP

 

But also, USA, USA, USA!

On 7/4/2023 at 12:07 AM, kokopelli3 said:

...

Happy Birthday, America!  And here is the National Anthem, sung by that American vocalist, none other than Meat Loaf, who recently passed away.

...

In case anyone here was unaware, Meat Loaf was a Trump supporter, climate change denier, and Covid-19 denier/antivaxxer. He reportedly died from complications of Covid-19 himself. 

On 7/4/2023 at 7:31 PM, PeterRS said:

...all men and women in the USA are not created equal...

I agree that the Declaration of Independence is poorly worded. Obviously, we're not all created equal, thank goodness, although hopefully we should all be entitled to equal rights, opportunities, and protection under the law.

8 hours ago, unicorn said:

In case anyone here was unaware, Meat Loaf was a Trump supporter, climate change denier, and Covid-19 denier/antivaxxer. He reportedly died from complications of Covid-19 himself. 

but he sung anthem well.

As Trump supporter, climate change denier, and Covid-19 denier/antivaxxer, sadly , but he was not alone in the USA and elsewhere else

Meat Loaf's performance of the National Anthem was in 1994, well before Covid and Trump, but then, no one is perfect, however his rendition of The Star Spangled Banner was excellent.