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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.
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That's brilliant. Truly brilliant.
I have, because of the men who drafted this document, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And so today I will remember that while I go down to the blues festival in town, and watch the fireworks tonight. Celebrating who we are as Americans is what this day is about, as much as it is about the men who gave us these rights. Whatever it means to be an American to you--that's what to think about today. To me, it means joining my fellow countrymen in celebrating this great land of ours, even in times when we seem so far away from their great ideal.