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| It is not all about fireworks and cook-outs - read about it: |
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
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. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. 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.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. 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.
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, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
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.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete 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.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
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.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
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; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. 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.
As of tomorrow we are making the almost final stretch of our 2 month vacation/mission trip. It has been a busy week with visiting those we planned on seeing but seemed to put off until the last minute. The time seems to just fly and when we think we have time to schedule something, it is almost too late. The weather has been beautiful, except for a thunderstorm or two. We plan on stopping at Chaplain Roy and Paula Gee's in Joshua, Texas for a short visit, then be "home" sometime during the week. We will miss our family here in Arknss as well a in Wisconsin, but the Lord seems to be calling us back to serve others. We can do that here as well, so when the Lord sys we need to come back to Arkansas, we will do so. Just pray that we are open to His Word and follow His will.
There was a lot of excitemwnt in Praire Grive this week as a 1,000,000# transformer load was being transported to it's permanent loction. It took two days to travel, often stopping to add more axles and wheels to accommodate the roads and bridges. The load was parked overnight in just outside of Prairie Grove about half way through the trip. It was interesting to see all the cars parked along the highway waiting to get a glimpse of this huge transformer and the manpower needed to move it.
the man on the left was the driver of this monstrosity from Utah - it takes a special person to do this
it was football field in length - pulled by a semi truck and pushed by two more - a total of 210 wheels
Sturday we had a family get together - children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Not everyone was able to be here but we enjoyed all of the time we were abe to spend with those who were. I did not get a picture of the twins, as most of the kiddos were in and out of the pool, dry, wet, dry, wet, etc. We ate the previously smoked ham and chicken, which was extremely wonderful, and a potato salad which our daughter made. I HATE potato salad - but I tasted it and it was wonderful! I even ate the leftovers today.
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| 4 generations - from the back left - granddaughter Casey, daughter Christine, us, me with Jaylen and g grandpa with Brielle |
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| Fred and Jaylen discussing politics |
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he is only 6 months old but as tall as his cousin Harper, who is a year old
Our Senior Pastor Vance Ubanks is on a 6 week sabbatical, so our sermon this morning was presented by our associate minister Andrew Kirscher. It is interesting to note that he was a college professor and an atheist, but now believes!!! An amazing intelligent young man (well, anyone younger than we are is young). In the time of Jesus, people did not believe that He was from God but of the devil. When Jesus cured the mute man, people believed that it was the devil who drove out the demons - this does not make sense. Why would the devil drive the devil demons out of someone?? It was believed that a possessed person had to name the demon he was possessed by in order to be rid of it - how could a mute man speak?? If you read verse 17 of Luke 11 it describes our country today - especially important to understand this Independence week-end. Jesus is stronger than evil, Jesus has greater wisdom and worked more miracles than the devil. Embrace the kingdom of God, seek first His kingdom, let His light shine in you, and tell others what He has done for you.
Remember to thank a service person for his willingness to fight so that you may have the freedoms that you have today this 4th of July (and always).
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