Gulf Coast Family

From The Declaration of Independence

"When 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 earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

"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..."

"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 Fortune, and our sacred Honor."

With these words, a small group of very brave Americans declared to the world the birth of a new nation. A nation that was founded on the truth that all Men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. This brave proclamation, so eloquently crafted by the Continental Congress and Thomas Jefferson cost some of these brave men their lives, many their fortunes, but none their honor. Despite their failures and shortcomings, these remarkable men took a stand for liberty, faith, and freedom, and we are all better for it.

According to a recent study released by the Freedom House, there are 90 countries in the world today which are classified as free countries. These countries account for approximately 47% of the world's population, some 3 billion people. On the other hand, there are 45 countries which are classified as not free. These 45 countries represent 2.4 billion of the Earths population and deny even the most basic political rights and civil liberties to their citizens. There are also, according to the study, 1.1 billion people who are considered only partly free. While they may have some economic freedoms, other freedoms are greatly limited.

The United States of America is blessed to be one of the freest nations in the world. Those who built this nation to its present greatness believed in the importance of the individual. They believed citizens should have the freedom to create, produce and save and be rewarded for their labor. They believed that the citizens should have the right to worship God freely. They believed citizens had the right to speak and debate openly.

In New York Harbor stands the statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World". This enormous copper statue was given by the people of France as a gift to the citizens of the United States of America to honor and celebrate the freedoms Americans enjoy under their unique system of government. In her right arm, which towers 305 feet into the air, "Lady Liberty" holds an uplifted torch. In her left arm she clutches a tablet of the Declaration of Independence and at her feet lay the broken shackles of tyranny. Engraved on the Statue of Liberty's pedestal you will find these words:

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

This July as you celebrate with your family and friends, remember that without the individual rights that our forefathers authored, we would not have the freedom to make our own choices.

• The first session of the Supreme Court was convened on February 1, 1790, but it took 145 years for the Supreme Court to find a permanent residence. The Supreme Court Building was designed to emphasize the importance and the dignity of the Court and Judiciary. Engraved above the entrance are the words, "Equal Justice Under Law".
• The United States Capitol is a monument, a working legislative building, and one of the most recognizable symbols of Democracy in the world. It houses the meeting chambers for both The House of Representatives and the Senate and it is located in on top of Capitol Hill at the east end of the National Mall.
• John Adams, second President of the United States, stated, "The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God."
• For two hundred years, the White House has stood as a symbol of the Presidency, the United States government, and the American people. President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901; however it has also been called the "President's Palace" and the "Executive Mansion."