In 1776, American people had reached their limit. They were tired of King George’s lies, his con game and his base. So they wrote a manifesto that proclaimed and justified the end of British rule over them. The King passed tax laws that benefited those in high society and gave just enough to keep some colonists content. Trade with all parts of the world was cut off via tariffs hurting farmers. King George appointed judges that would emulate his autocratic mindset. Unflattering comments or criticism of him and his reign was “fake” and writers were imprisoned.
Most colonists rejected the notion that if you like some of what the King does, you have to be silent about all the rest—the lies, the grift, the potentially illegal conduct. Those patriots had enough, declared their independence and democracy was born. The Declaration of Independence is an important part of American democracy because it contains the ideals of our nation. It commands people to “alter or to abolish” any government when it becomes destructive and fails people.
We do this by, as citizens, taking part in our government through voting, standing against gerrymandering that allows politicians to pick their voters versus voters choosing their representatives and by not ignoring behavior from our elected officials that runs contrary to our American ideals. Have a happy and blessed Independence Day!
Peggy Perknins
Winder, GA
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