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Guest Commentary July 4, 2002
Celebrating America's Independence
The Honorable Tom Daschle and The Honorable Trent Lott
"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."
One of the things that makes America unique is that our nation began not simply by declaring our independence from a colonial ruler, but by declaring our belief in the universal truths of freedom and equality.
Writing to his wife Abigail the day after the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, John Adams predicted that future generations of Americans would celebrate the "great anniversary festival.... It ought to be solemnized," he wrote, "with pomp and parade, with shows, games, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward, forevermore."
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Today, more than two centuries later, Americans continue to celebrate the Fourth of July, just as Adams' predicted we would. We are joined in our celebrations by freedom-loving people throughout the world.
Americans will celebrate this Fourth of July with parades and flags, bands and fireworks, baseball and barbecues -- as we do every year. We will pause to thank the men and women in uniform who are defending our freedom in the war against terrorism -- in Afghanistan and around the world. Our hope, and our prayer, will be that the inalienable rights enshrined in our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution will continue to be birthright of every American for generations and centuries to come.
As we watch the fireworks and parades this year, let us vow to keep alive the spirit of Jefferson, Adams, and our other founders by renewing the oath with which they concluded that remarkable document 226 years ago: "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."
Tom Daschle, a Democrat, is a U.S. Senator from South Dakota and the Senate Majority Leader. Trent Lott, a Republican, is a U.S. Senator from Mississippi and the Senate Minority Leader. The above commentary has been adapted from a joint statement released by the two senators, July 4, 2002. To contact them, Click Here.
The above column has been distributed by PoliticsOL.com.
