While searching to define the true form of freedom that would be a gift to the new nation, our Founding Fathers understood one thing clearly. Human rights are bestowed upon humans by their Creator. Although governments, even the best intended, could protect citizens they did not create the freedoms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
This idea was offensive not only to the English monarchy but a threat to most of human history that saw despots claiming that it was their own glory that granted freedom to their subjects. Our Founding Fathers, deep thinkers and visionaries understood that this fear from the ruling class killed innovation, and ingenuity, and held most of Western civilization back from its destiny for centuries.
Words of rejection, through the Declaration of Independence, to a tyrannical system was not a moment but a movement. A movement that set the world on fire and caused people and nations around the globe to demand their God-given rights. It pushed our own nation to reject the abomination of human slavery and brought men and women of all backgrounds together to fight a Civil War to end the practice, leading to its decline across the world.
Some people incorrectly state that as a nation of people from other nations, we lack a collective culture or identity. Our call for independence through our recognition of God-given rights is our collective identity. We proclaimed that the freedoms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are granted to us from a power much higher than any one person or government. We as a people may agree to allow a government to help protect those rights, but that government does not create those rights; they already exist. If that government violates those natural born rights, we as a people have the ability to overthrow that government.
Today, let us reflect on our collective culture of divine rights as an American people. Let us remember the countless souls that stood together and gave their lives so that we did not hang alone. The courageous words of the Declaration of Independence have led to freedom here at home for generations and its expansion around the globe has provided for millions to claim their own destiny.