Op-Ed: Declaration Of Independence Part II

The "talking points" within the text of the American Declaration of Independence of 1776 is a much abused and ill-referenced document of our founding. In this piece, we will look at each of the "complaints" as presented to King George III of England.

In the National Archives where Sandy Berger stole documents to destroy them and was later convicted of the crime, one can find a transcription of the famous parchment which was presented to King George declaring America's independence from the despot of England. The King was afflicted by a heinous disease and some historians say that it was this disease that caused him to become the abuser of the American Colonies. I disagree but that is neither here nor there - I just threw that one in. In this article, we will look at each of the grievances submitted and compare them to today, if they are appropriate. If you care to read the entire Declaration, please visit the NARA linked above. In each grievance, it is presented as "he has", meaning the King. Where applicable, grievances will be combined as many of them were related to the same actions taken against the Colonies. 01.) He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. 02.) He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. 03.) He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. 04.) He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. 05.) He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. 06.) He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. 07.) He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. 08.) He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. 09.) He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. 10.) He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. This is, in today's circumstance(s), all too familiar. We have more and more agencies cropping up with a plethora of new power hungry bureaucrats running hither and yon and running amok. I know the agencies are were emplaced with the grand premise of helping us out but they have turned into Big Brother tax funnels. The more government agencies thee are to allegedly benefit the people, the more tax burdens they place upon the populace. I would venture a guess that nearly half of the agencies currently operating are unconstitutional. The NEA, Social Security and IRS being but a tip of one ice berg. There is no authorizations of these mentioned agencies in the United States Constitution. If a particular duty of the Federal Government is not in the Constitution, that duty falls to the States. As obvious as that is, it is missed by many that are allegedly Guardians of the United States Constitution. 11.) He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. 12.) He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. 13.) He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: The World Court comes to mind here as does the L.O.S.T (Law Of the Sea Treaty) that has been rejected time and time again. There are powers and individuals within the federal government that are working to sell the sovereignty of the United States to the highest bidder. As for #12, I have to question Barack Obama's plans for his Civilian National Security Force that he wishes to be just as strong, just as powerful and just funded as the United States Armed Forces. 14.) For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: 15.) For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: 16.) For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: 17.) For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: 18.) For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: 19.) For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences 20.) For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: 21.) For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: 22.) For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. 23.) He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. 24.) He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. 25.) He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. 26.) He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. 27.) He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. Thomas Jefferson's depiction of the Declaration may be consulted here. We must return to the Founding Father's dreams, desires and tenets if we are to survive as a Constitutional Federal Republic and Barack's dreams and aspirations of a United Socialist States of Amerika will not be tolerated. So many areas of our Declaration have been set aside that we have lost our way. We must have our elected officials accountable and that which they espouse must be reconciled with our Constitution. If their "programs" and "laws" cannot be reconciled with our Constitution than they should not even be brought up. If they are brought up and cannot pass muster, they need to be defeated and set aside.