Happy 4th Of July

The Declaration Of Independence by John Trumbull

Trubull's famous painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is rather idealized. Not only was the document not signed on July 4th, our Founding Fathers didn't all sign it on the same day. But that doesn't bother me. 

Our Founding Fathers were revolutionaries, and the democratic principals which gave birth to the United States were revolutionary ... and idealized. Who could have predicted how long a democracy would last?

Does it mean that the founders got everything right? We know they did not. Our nation from its inception, was and continues to be based on compromise. Revolutions are usually imperfect and messy. 

We live in a more perfect union. More perfect unions happen step by step. Later there was a need for the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

What didn't get worked out lead to the drafting of the documents named above, as well as, to the American Civil War ... the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th and 14th Amendments, and so it goes. Our democracy is always evolving. Changing with the times.

With success and prosperity come responsibilities. The world is getting smaller.

And yet when I look at history, I am impressed with how smart our Founding Fathers were. The signers comprised a group of highly intelligent, educated men. Thomas Jefferson, the writer of the Declaration Of Independence, was influenced by the principles of the Enlightenment, as well as, the writings of John Locke. We had the brilliant minds of Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. I am thankful that such able statesmen got our nation off to a good start.

Happy Birthday America!

Photo: Total Beauty - Jin Soon nails

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