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 the 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—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 effect 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. Such has been the patient Sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The History of the present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World.

It is necessary to point out the difference between what many have been taught and what actually is said in the founding documents. I've heard people say that there is no mention of "God." However, as you read the first two paragraphs, God is referred to twice (words in red). Note that many people think only of the Constitution as the founding document (the by-laws), while leaving out the Declaration (the articles of incorporation). Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to a friend, noted that perhaps the Bible could be considered the main founding document along with the Declaration and the Constitution (when I find that quote from one of the books I've been reading, I'll post it). I mention this here, because a group of political scientists did a study of 14,000 documents written by our founding fathers, noting all the quotes from other sources. The Bible was quoted number one at 34% of all quotations. You can read about this in David Barton's Original Intent. I went on to point out 2 other referrals to God in the Declaration as seen below:

WE, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in GENERAL CONGRESS, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which INDEPENDENT STATES may of right do. 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 Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Also of note was the first underlined sentence, "the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God." I referred to a discovery I'd made after reading Barton's "Original Intent." Sir William Blackstone (the second most quoted man by our founding fathers), an English Professor of Law and contemporary of the founding fathers who wrote the notable Blackstone's Commentary on English Law (a large four volume set), wrote specifically about the "laws of nature and nature's God." I've included an entire section of Blackstone's writing on natural law, revealed law, and the law of nations. I suggest you study it carefully, as I found in these few pages more value and insight than reading a hundred modern books.
http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/blackstone/bla-002.htm

I read some of the red underlined sentences, stressing how our founding fathers, many of whom were lawyers, read and studied Sir William Blackstone's Commentaries as their preparation for the bar. You'll notice how Blackstone equates the law of nature to the will of God for men. This was the understanding of of the men who wrote and edited the Declaration: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston.

We also notice how Blackstone discussed the "pursuit of happiness" as the foundation of ethics or "natural law" and that the keeping of these laws was in direct correlation with the pursuit of happiness. Wow, it seems the writers of this Declaration were taking directly from Blackstone's teaching on law, and why wouldn't they, as English citizens, draw from the renowned English Law Professor and author, who was well known by the English who were directly related to most of our founding fathers?

My personal study gave me a whole new understanding of the Declaration in light of Blackstone's teachings. I hope as you read Blackstone's own words you will gain even further insight.

We then discussed the grievances of our founders and American's in general as denoted in 27 statements in the Declaration (see below).  I noted that "taxation without representation" was only one of the many loathsome deeds committed against them.

Unfortunately, it seems that many of today's patriots lack historical background, due in much part to our inadequate and rewritten history courses in public schools and colleges. The Christian heritage and Biblical foundations at the heart of our country have been removed from textbooks by those intent on separating Christianity from government and people in general. When we consider all the laws based on Biblical teachings, that would certainly undermine our entire rule of law. We noted the extent of our current fall as a people is directly related to the extent that our Christian heritage has been removed from the eyes of our people. The homosexual agenda in particular, I noted, was attempting to undermine the "laws of nature" and replace it with perversion. Blackstone wrote that "no human laws should be suffered to contradict" the law of nature and revelation law (the Bible). I pointed out that Thomas Jefferson helped write legislation in Virginia making bigamy or polygamy a serious felony. Our current marriage laws (one man, one woman) are based on the Bible and Jesus' direct teaching. Now, returning to our subject at hand.

Read the 27 grievances for yourself and note how many related to the undermining or suspension of basic laws and rights along with outright acts of terror.

HE has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public Good. HE has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing Importance, unless suspended in their Operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. HE has refused to pass other Laws for the Accommodation of large Districts of People, unless those People would relinquish the Right of Representation in the Legislature, a Right inestimable to them, and formidable to Tyrants only. HE has called together Legislative Bodies at Places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the Depository of their public Records, for the sole Purpose of fatiguing them into Compliance with his Measures. HE has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly Firmness his Invasions on the Rights of the People. HE has refused for a long Time, after such Dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the Dangers of Invasion from without, and Convulsions within. HE has endeavoured to prevent the Population of these States; for that Purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. HE has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers. HE has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and the Amount and Payment of their Salaries. HE has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harrass our People, and eat out their Substance. HE has kept among us, in Times of Peace Standing Armies, without the consent of our Legislatures. HE has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power. HE has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: FOR quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us: FOR protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: FOR cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World: FOR imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: FOR depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury: FOR transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended Offences: FOR abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an arbitrary Government, and enlarging its Boundaries, so as to render it at once an Example and fit Instrument for introducing the same absolute Rule into these Colonies: FOR taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: FOR suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Power to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever. HE has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. HE has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People. HE is, at this Time, transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the Works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation. HE has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the Executioners of their Friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. HE has excited domestic Insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.

Please note that among these 27 grievances, only one is about taxation without representation, yet this is probably the main idea that you remember from school. Why? Because someone wanted you to think that money was mainly what our founders cared about. After reading it for yourself, can you grasp the many violations of law and justice and the actually acts of terrorism against the colonists that were committed by King George? Let me suggest that you read more about those days prior to the Revolution.

Fighting had begun more than a year prior to the Declaration in Lexington, Massachusetts (the shot heard round the world), on April 19th, 1775. From this day through March 17th, 1776, New England militiamen besieged Boston to prevent the British from re-supplying their naval ships. The British finally withdrew after 11 months. War had begun, started by the British, and Americans had to do something to stop them. George Washington led our militias which soon became known as the Continental Army. The Continental Congress during this time, had made George Washington the commander-in-chief of the forces.

So many grievous acts were done against Americans over a lengthy period, but the interruption and dissolution of laws and Legislatures seems to be the worst preliminary factor. Without rule of law, chaos can ensue. Representation in government of the people was foremost in many American minds.

Today, our Congress, our President, and our Supreme Court are continually doing things contrary to the founding documents of this country. They've been systematically changing, that is, reinterpreting our Constitution without going through the legal process of Constitutional Amendment, usurping the rights of the people to representative government under law with due process. When elected officials promote acts outside the bounds of their Constitutional authority in an attempt to change our laws and system of government, they are acting in direct violation of their sworn duty to uphold the Constitution and are criminals and traitors to our laws and the American people. Their elected authority does not give them power to act outside the bounds of the Constitution! This is lawlessness in the worst degree, coming directly from the supposed law makers! This is the beginning of tyrannical rule.

Let me give you a prime example. Our tax revenues are meant to pay for the authorized processes and duties of the federal government. Only those items listed in Article 1, Section 8 of our Constitution, are the authorized expenditures, along with any amendment to the Constitution. However, this last year billions of dollars were given to financial companies to prop them up from failure. This was the largest transfer of wealth in American history by government edict. Our tax dollars gone directly to pay private company's bills! An unprecedented criminal act, and there was no genuine oversight as to who got what.

Another example is the GM bailout. This auto manufacturer was on the verge of bankruptcy, and Congress and the President bailed them out, acquiring partial ownership! Again, an abuse of taxpayer funds.

Still to come is the government health care bill. This is a massive proposed change in government responsibility, taking over the private responsibility (rights) of individuals. To be lawful it must be enacted by Constitutional Amendment, yet this Congress feels within its rights to do this outside of States' rights and individual rights afforded to us by the 10th Amendment. It is an illegal act and few even understand this, due to their ignorance of our Constitution.

Read Article 1 again for our next meeting. Study your Constitution and become an informed citizen or your rights will be taken from you and you'll not even know what you've lost!

Doug Roy, KFIRE President