The Declaration of Independence, in modern language:
Sometimes in human history, it becomes necessary for one group of people to end the political ties that they have with others.
When they do this, they assume for themselves a separate and equal standing among all other nations on Earth. And this is a standing that they are rightfully entitled to by God and by human nature.
Now, when this happens, it's a good idea to explain the reasons why they feel that this separation has become necessary.
So, here is that explanation:
We believe the following things are both true and self-evident.
1. Every human is created equal.
2. Every human has God-given rights that cannot be taken away by other humans.
3. These rights are the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to pursue whatever endeavors one prefers.
Now, it's also true that in order to make sure that nobody violates anybody else's rights, governments are established by people for the purpose of securing and protecting these rights. These governments receive their power exclusively from the people who willingly and voluntarily consent to be governed.
Because of this, whenever any form of government itself begins to violate these rights that they were established to protect, it is the right of the people to either change the government or fully abolish it. They have the right to start over from scratch, to set up a new government for themselves in a way that they believe is most likely that the new government will stay within those bounds of just protecting their rights.
Now, obviously, it's important to be careful with exercising this right, and governments that have existed for a very long time should not be overthrown for very small or temporary inconveniences. But on the other hand, history has proven that people are far more likely to just endure the suffering that evil governments impose, rather than exercising their rights to overthrow them. And it's simply because the people have just gotten used to the abuse.
So, when a government demonstrates a long pattern of violating rights, taking more and more power through force, and becoming more authoritarian, more totalitarian, more despotic, it is the people's right. In fact, it is the people's duty to overthrow a government like this and to establish new protectors of their future freedom. This long, patient suffering has been the experience of the people today. It is why it is a necessity that requires us to change our system of government.
The history of the current government over the people is a history of continuous violence, violation of rights, taking power through force, resulting in absolute tyranny over the lives of the people.
For both a brief and an incomplete list of some of these violations, consider the following:
- Politicians continually elevate themselves above the law, routinely engaging in illegal behavior with impunity, from insider trading to civil asset forfeiture to confiscation of private property, and even the ordering of the murder of US citizens.
- The states no longer have the influence and power that they were originally given by the Constitution, and now they have far less power than the government itself, which is a direct inversion of the law of the land.
- The government continues to rob purchasing power from its people through the power of the printing press, namely the debasement of the currency and inflation.
- The government robs the wealth of future generations without regard by building up a debt so large that it cannot even now stop it from growing, let alone begin to reverse it and pay it down.
- The government favors special interest groups who, through bribery and corruption, have now wielded the power of the government in their own ends, resulting in the gross enrichment of so-called public servants.
- New laws that infringe on people's lives and rights are implemented by the thousands through enormous multi-issue bills that none of the elected representatives have even read, yet they vote for them all the same.
- This has resulted in a federal register of laws so vast that virtually every citizen alive today is now a criminal without even knowing it.
- Government illegally wages war on the world without the authorization of Congress, ignoring constitutional law.
- Government imposes enormously burdensome taxes on the whole population without the consent of those who are being taxed (and this is implemented under threat of violence and imprisonment).
- Government also protects large corporations from competition by using the threat of violence and imprisonment to stop anyone from doing similar business simply because the government has granted legal monopolies over certain ideas.
- Each party, when in power, has routinely weaponized federal agencies against political opponents, both from left to right and from right to left.
- Government has fostered corruption through unchecked influence of lobbyists, special interest groups, and big donors, allowing elected officials to prioritize elite agendas over the desires of people, voters.
- The government has engaged in endless foreign entanglements, military interventions, and it has drained trillions in taxpayer funds on wars and aid abroad.
- The government has eroded civil liberties through mass surveillance, censorship, and restrictions on the right to free speech.
- The government has stifled innovation and prosperity through overregulation of energy, housing, healthcare, finance, education, contributing to less competition, higher costs, lower quality of life, and reduced opportunities for all.
Now, for all the above grievances, individuals have attempted change through the vote, attempted change through lawsuits, through petitions, and through protests. And each of these attempts at reform have persistently been met with apathy, intentional disregard, and even blatant opposition.
A government whose officials participate in furthering these abuses, abuses that are characteristic of a dictator, are not fit to rule a free people.
We have not been lacking in our success at bringing attention to these matters. People have spent decades voicing their objections to these violations through books, news, movies, social media, podcasts, radio, TV, written articles, and much more.
But the elected officials and the appointed bureaucrats collectively have ignored this lack of consent by the governed.
And it is because of this that we must allow the necessary separation and consider the government as no different than any other entity on Earth, enemy in war or friend in peace.
Therefore: We the people of the United States of America, appealing to the ultimate judge, the supreme power over all creation, and by the authority in every sovereign individual, do solemnly declare these United States are and by right should be free and independent. They are released from all allegiance to the government.
All political connection between people and the government is and should be completely dissolved.
And as free and independent states, they have the full power to defend themselves in war, seek peace, establish alliances, engage in commerce, and all other things that free and independent states on Earth all have the right to do.
In support of this declaration of independence and with faith in our protection by God, we commit to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
This has been a modern-day reinterpretation of Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence.
Thank you.