Our Motivation
Thomas Jefferson drafted the following passage in our nation's Declaration of Independence from Great Britain (bold type added):
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 affect 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.
Today's "Modern English" Translation
It is universally apparent that all people are created equal, and that they are granted at birth with certain rights. These rights include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Governments are formed by the people to secure these rights, and the people have the sole responsibility for authorizing and monitoring the powers they grant to the government on their behalf.
Whenever any form of government fails to adequately protect the rights of the people, the people have the right to change their government and to redistribute power as they deem necessary to secure their principles and to maintain their safety and well-being. On this note, common sense should be used in making changes to a functioning government, with a singular focus on critical issues that will have a long-term affect on the people.
History has shown us that people will tend to remain complacent, often tolerating a lifetime of fractional ongoing governmental abuses, rather than taking the action needed to change the offending government,
But when a government consistently violates the trust of the people by diluting, compromising, and challenging their rights, it is the right of the people to protect themselves from such hostilities. It is the duty of the people to move beyond their frustration at this point, and to take responsible action, de-authorizing the offending government and providing new safeguards for their future security.
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