FOREWORD
Many have been the readers asking me to pronounce on the American election. A poisoned chalice indeed. For no matter what conclusion I reach, I am guaranteed to offend, alienate or outrage someone; and to a very great extent. And having achieved very little gain for myself, I will have had the most insignificant of effects on the actual outcome of the election.
Worse, my enthusiasm for comment is poisoned by the same sentiment of ambivalence as you all have; and although I consider the ultimate choice to be made as clear, I am under no illusions that we are facing the lesser of two evils. So instead of going through the inventory of misery that now constitutes American democratic exercise, I have turned to the refuge of art. In the piece below, I mention neither Trump nor Harris, Republicans nor Democrats; although the issues confronting the voters are poetically considered. Instead I lean on principle, inspired by one history’s great works of literature: The Declaration of Independence. In this reimagined Declaration for 2024, I try to use the words of the original document as far as possible, changing the order, position and composition of the expressions for updated effect and contemporary relevance. The words used do indicate definitively the choice I would counsel, but the updated Declaration dedicates at least one paragraph to demolishing the other side, such is the pathetic state of modern American discourse.
In the happy event that you understand the references, disagree with the implied conclusion, then don’t storm off in a hissy fit: congratulations. You are a (small d) democrat. You believe in public discourse and public disagreement. You believe in America, democracy and the free world.
It is your choice regarding how to react when encountering differing viewpoints. You could scurry back to the echo chamber or you could engage with your fellow interlocutors. Better you could become a heroic citizen yourself, turning from passivity to participation, and shape your country with your own hands, working in collaboration with your compatriots regardless of political home.
Whatever transpires in the next week, you are obliged to respect the outcome, avoid blaming the result on this or that “traitorous” minority and protect the integrity of the future democratic process.
And in any event, and whatever your view, enjoy the Declaration as a piece of art. It will require several readings to dig beneath the surface meaning.
The original declaration is here so you can compare what has changed, what has remained, what has been reordered and where I got the expressions from: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
[ The crowd at the Ellipse prepares for former President Donald Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc./Getty Images. Image retrieved from https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23513019/january-6-committee-report-trump-2020-election-insurrection]
“A New Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson and Daniel Clarke-Serret
(aided by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman)
Sometimes 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. However this is not such a time. Instead we are called upon to reaffirm our national narrative, reassert our national values and reproclaim our national destiny.
A decent respect to the human progress yet achieved requires that we should declare the political foundations which bind us together.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that through their citizenship all Americans are equal and endowed with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are the right to continuing Life, continuing Liberty and the continuing pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, a democratic form of government has been instituted among its citizens, deriving its just powers from the continuing consent of the governed through regular fair and free elections where the candidates speak truth over lies and discuss the issues in good faith for the betterment of the nation as a whole. And this gift of freedom having being endowed by our Creator and the gift of leadership having been bestowed upon our nation by the will of Heaven, we are obliged to protect the endowment of others whose freedom is under attack. We may not absolve ourselves of our guardianship role else we spoke false when we declared the rights above enumerated as inalienable.
That whenever our current manner of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the duty of the People to re-institute a dignified conduct of government that is fully committed to the advancement of this nation. This being in accordance with the principles of democracy, liberty and the attendant rights - freedom of expression and other fundamentals - which assure the continuing safety and happiness of the American people. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Government long established should not be changed for light and transient causes, upon demagogic words passionately spoken, upon academic theories fashionably written. 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. Our history of a past King of Great Britain; of subjugation to repeated injuries and usurpations, all lead us to profoundly object to the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. We object most strongly to he that refused his assent to Laws regarding elections to high office, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good; and must submit to the candid world that he refused for a long time, after such dissolutions and elections, to cause others to be elected. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us. In these matters, we have not been wanting in attentions to our American brethren.
That in every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned - and in the most humble terms - his opponents for redress and safeguard. Yet our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by those unrepresentative of the People to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our own emigration and settlement here and the necessity of enforcement of Laws for the naturalisation of foreigners. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow their usurpations, which have interrupted our connections and correspondence as one nation of Americans. Yet they have endeavoured to bring upon our places of learning, the merciless supporters of savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions; they that burnt the towns, raped the women and destroyed the lives of our allies. To the rest of mankind we hold firm in this dictum: Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
All sides in our most democratic country have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. And yet we may not remain silent in the face of a perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages; and the conduct of one totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation; in the sure knowledge that a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same imprudent object, evinces a design to reduce the People under unprecedented despotism.
We, the Representatives of these 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 United States, solemnly publish and declare that we are one people, undivided by race, religion, class or individual characteristics. These United States once more reaffirm that we are absolved from all allegiance to unwanted foreign influences, harking they be from tryannical shores, and that all political connection between we United States and they prophets of authoritarianism shall and ought be severed. 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 Destiny, our Freedom and our sacred Honor as a united people.
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Amazing rewriting of the declaration of independence. In these days of division it will be ignored. Shame.
Bravo. I particularly like the part about severing ties with foreign authoritarians. I voted for the candidate who will continue and strengthen our alliances with other democracies. Thankful Congress protected NATO from unilateral withdrawal by a president w/o Congressional approval.
Will read your version of the Declaration again later & compare to the original.