Nearly 250 years ago, our Founding Fathers met at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia. At great risk to their lives and liberty, they proclaimed to the world their reasons for separating from Great Britain. They laid out the “injuries and usurpations” that American colonists had suffered, and they accused the king of establishing “an absolute Tyranny over these states.” On July 4th, they took an awe-inspiring leap of faith by declaring their independence and forming the United States of America.
This was an act of supreme political and personal courage by fearless statesmen. After signing the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin allegedly told his fellow Founders that they must “hang together, or assuredly [they would] all hang separately.” He knew that if the revolution failed, their penalty would be death.
The Founders took this leap driven by the core convictions laid out in the Declaration: “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.”
The truths enshrined in the Declaration have guided the American project for the last 249 years – the truth that our rights come from God and not government; the truth that all men are created equal and have the right to govern themselves; and the truth that our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are so fundamental that they cannot be taken away or given up.
Many in America are forgetting our founding principles. The bureaucracy in Washington, D.C., has hoarded unprecedented amounts of power, making a mockery of the notion of self-government. Our political leaders have violated the foundation of the American dream by importing waves of newcomers unschooled in the ways of liberty. And the people of America have lapsed in participation with faith and church – we are losing touch with God, our Creator and the true source of our inalienable rights.
But on this July 4th, we see a new dawn in America. Because of President Trump’s historic victory, we have an opportunity to re-establish our nation according to the Declaration’s principles.
We can restore self-government in America, sending power out of D.C. and back to the people and the states. We can restore our borders and affirm our faith in the American people. And we can remind ourselves that without God and without a God-fearing public, we would have no rights and no means to protect them.
Fulfilling the promise of this July 4th – the very same promise of the first July 4th in 1776 – requires fearless leadership. It requires the courage that our Founders displayed nearly 250 years ago. And it requires a willingness to boldly leap into the fight for our country and her principles.
Trump cannot take this leap alone. He needs strong allies in states like Alabama who will jump at the opportunity to advance the values enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.
That’s why I’m running to be Alabama’s attorney general. And as your attorney general, I will work every day to live up to the Founders’ challenge and seize this moment to ensure that the golden age comes to Alabama.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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