July 4th. This is not simply a day of fireworks, a holiday from work, backyard cookouts, or celebration. It is also one of reflection. What does it mean and how did we get here 241 years later from the most monumental day in our history?
In 1776, the 13 colonies legally declared themselves a new nation, proclaiming independence from the British Empire. Historians dispute the date, claiming the actual signing of the vote was July 2nd with the Declaration becoming official on the Fourth of July. Five representatives were responsible for drafting the Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jefferson cited at the primary author.
This week we reflect on those important words we learned as children … the words that protect our freedom and independence.
“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.” (For the full text of the Declaration click HERE.)
So this week, Sarasota Orthopedic Associates celebrates and remembers with you. Let’s join together and cherish our freedom.
