Sometimes it's useful to revisit your statement of purpose; your charter.

Declaration of Independence rant 22 June 2006

Sometimes it's useful to revisit your statement of purpose; your charter.

The unanimous Declaration of the 13 united States of America,

"In congress, July 4, 1776".

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

"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, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

...

"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

...

"The history of the present King of [Great] Britain", the third George to rule - I just added that part - we are now on our third George, I mean, what the heck. "The history of the present King of [Great] Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world." And here now the bill, the list of grievances against George the Third. Let's see, George Washington - George the First, George Herbert Walker - George the Second, George, well, OK. Here's the list in part; I'm not reading all of them, but most of them:

"- He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good."

"- He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance." ...

"- 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." Gee, do I remember Denny Hastert holding votes on things like the Patriot Act at 3 o'clock in the morning?

"- He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers."

"- He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our" New Orleans "towns, and destroyed the lives of our people." I tossed New Orleans in there.

"- He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries" employed by Halliburton. No, I just put that in there "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."

...

"In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people."

...

"We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States;"

...

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

Thanks to Randy White for the reminder.