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.—

Much was changed from the original version of our Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson.  Remaining though were the so often repeated words that are able to synthesize the reason for our existence. All persons are created equal, and with the ability to pursue happiness.    Biology dictates that at birth, even with physical and psychological characteristics that are unique to each newborn, every baby has the same instincts that guarantee the preservation of life and the species. These instincts are accompanied by pleasures which develop into desires. Initially the satisfaction of these desires is instant. A baby is hungry, cries, is fed, and feels instant pleasure.  A slow and painful process start as the newborn grows, matures and reaches adulthood.  The maturation process ends when the change from instant to delayed gratification is achieved. What is the incentive to change from instant to delayed pleasure?.  The answer is that we are also born with the ability of will power, or in simple terms to be able to be free to act or not.

Exercising this freedom to delay gratification, doubles our pleasure, as we satisfy both our instinct and our will. This is where Jefferson’s words “pursuit” is a key. To pursue implies will, and will requires freedom to act. To “have” is not a right, it is a choice and the consequences of these “choices” are your responsibility, good or bad. Every person has to choose from being led by a minority that will give you instant gratification in exchange for your will and responsibility, or go through the painful process needed to maintain your freedom and achieve the ultimate pleasure of being truly free. So far reality and history proofs that in every case when an anointed minority claims superb wisdom to “know better” than you when choices are made end in some form of tyranny. We are not judging the motivation of this “elite”. Great thinkers like our forefathers John Adams and James Madison believed in a strong central authority. The anti-federalists prevailed and our political system of governing starts in the will of the individual and progresses through families, communities, and States, with the Federal government the last option. This philosophy resulted in our Constitutional Republic that has been an example to the world. As Tocqueville realized this idea was successful principally because of the strong sense of individuality and community prevalent in the population.     This is no longer so, and at present we are led by two party’s that through different means aim to lead our lives. They all offer equal rights to “take”, instead of equal rights to “earn”. Most candidates are part of a corrupt alliance of “capitalists” led by greed and corrupt politicians that sell their favors through regulations. Voters are surrendering their freedom by voting as partisans, not Americans, against someone instead of for one, and criticizing those who abstain with the nonsensical notion that not voting means a vote for the other candidate.    Unfortunately the worst aspects of human beings are being exploited; greed, laziness, envies, and discrimination is prevailing over ambition, sacrifice, charity, and tolerance.    In tragedies when firearms are used by evil or deranged persons, reality is not confronted and blame is placed in guns, the instrument, and not the vileness, or used for pure political reasons.  I for one, declare my independence, will not surrender my freedom of thought to either political party, and will behave according to my personal values and needs, and will assume responsibility for my actions. Voters that fall to the swan song of surrendering their will to choose for the “common good”, fail to understand that freedom, like pregnancy is an all or nothing proposition. Only on the basis of human rights can freedom, personal and society, be achieved . Only when each man is free to exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing others to himself, nor being sacrificed to others.  Only when every man is free to work for the greatest good, only when he can achieve for himself by his own effort,  then the sum total of such efforts realize the kind of general and social good that we all aspire to.