Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness

I’ve started watching a new series recently, John Adams on HBO. I love historical time pieces like this so I was excited to get started watching. In history class we tend to gloss over the finer details and just hit the highs and lows of our American heritage, but we really miss out on the grandness and richness of our story. I’m through the first 3 episodes right now and I’ll say it’s been awesome watching our American history unfold through the eyes of John and Abigail Adams, the continental congress, etc… It’s been awesome getting into the heads and hearts of these rebels/revolutionaries as they struggled with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Episode 2 really moved me… It ended with the signing of the Declaration of Independence (Which I don’t recall ever reading from beginning to end – But I made sure I did it today)

Here’s a link to it if you want to check it out yourself.

What an awesome document.

Like most shows today, John Adams reaches back into the past to comment on and contextualize our present. I don’t know if the makes of John Adams have an agenda of their own, but I’ll give them credit they definitely make me think. They make me think about the nature of tyrannical governments (Is there intent to compare Englands King George to Ours??? I don’t know….probably) They make me think about the effects a foreign occupying military force has on both the soldiers and citizens. They make me think about the difference between a rebel/insurrectionist and a revolutionary. They make me think about how easy it is for a government to become stubborn and heavy handed in enforcing their agenda on a country, especially when that agenda is not in the best interest of the people…maybe not even what they want. (Side Note Here: Check out the grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence against King George. Do you see any similarity to what’s taking place in our country today?)

looking through the lens of the past we can’t fully appreciate what our forefathers did. Independence, revolution….was a huge decision with dire consequences. I like how the show portrayed the struggles the continental congress had dealing with this issue.

I’m proud to be an American. I think there are a lot of mixed messages today circulating our world and country, a lot of confusion about what America stands for, what America is about, what do we value, what is the American dream. It’s nice to go back to the beginning to get some clarity. I do think we’ve lost our way a little bit, somehow gotten off the track.

One part of Declaration really stood out in my mind today.

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.

Revolution is strong term… I don’t think we need a revolution in this country yet. But I think we definitely need some reformation. We need, once again, men and women in this country to stand up and bring clarity and focus to our present situation. We need men and women brave enough to lead us on a new course, in a new direction towards a better tomorrow.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a republican, democrat, independent, green party, libertarian, etc… We need to get beyond the issues that divide us and focus on the values and ideals we all share…we’ve got to ask ourselves what kind of nation do we want to be and then set out to make it happen. We’ve got to ask ourselves what our forefathers really wanted. Did they mean what they said? Did they believe in the equality of all mankind as endowed by the Creator? Did they believe in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Or where they just cleverly designed words and phrases penned on paper to justify whatever plans and schemes they concocted. I think they meant it and I wonder what they would think of our country today?