Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776: “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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The Kid, July 4, 2020: “I’m not a fan of Independence Day celebrations. I think it’s a day that should be recognized but not glamorized. I don’t think it’s fair to say that we’re founded on the idea we’re all created equal. When those men were writing it, they didn’t mean that ‘all’ were created equal. They didn’t think of slaves as people; they thought of Black people and women as property. The country was founded by racists and misogynists and bad people.
“OK, the Declaration of Independence says ‘All men are created equal.’ That’s a good thing we should try to live up to, and whether or not the Declaration says it, it should be a goal for any society. But I don’t think our nation was founded on that idea — I take offense to that, and to the glamorizing of July 4 as ‘independence day’ when it didn’t mean independence for the vast majority of people who lived in America. We shouldn’t glamorize a bunch of rich white men who in some ways weren’t better than King George.”
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Frederick Douglass, July 5, 1852: “I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you this day rejoice are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence bequeathed by your fathers is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me.
"This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today?
“What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass-fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy, a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour. Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.”
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George W. Bush, July 4, 2008: “Thomas Jefferson understood that these rights do not belong to Americans alone. They belong to all mankind. And he looked to the day when all people could secure them. … In one of the final letters of his life, he wrote, ‘May it be to the world, what I believe it will be — to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all — the Signal of arousing men to burst the chains, and to assume the blessings and security of self-government.’ …
“We also honor Jefferson's legacy by welcoming newcomers to our land. And that is what we're here to celebrate today. Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have helped transform 13 small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 [million] people. They've made America a melting pot of cultures from all across the world. They've made diversity one of the great strengths of our democracy. And all of us here today are here to honor and pay tribute to that great notion of America.
“Those of you taking the oath of citizenship at this ceremony hail from 30 different nations. You represent many different ethnicities and races and religions. But you all have one thing in common -- and that is a shared love of freedom. This love of liberty is what binds our nation together, and this is the love that makes us all Americans.”
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Purna Swaraj, India, (adopted) Jan. 26, 1930: “We believe that it is the inalienable right of the Indian people, as of any other people, to have freedom and to enjoy the fruits of their toil and have the necessities of life, so that they may have full opportunities of growth. We believe also that if any government deprives a people of these rights and oppresses them the people have a further right to alter it or to abolish it. The British government in India has not only deprived the Indian people of their freedom but has based itself on the exploitation of the masses, and has ruined India economically, politically, culturally, and spiritually. We believe, therefore, that India must sever the British connection and attain Purna Swaraj, or complete independence.”
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The Kid, July 4, 2020: “I think a lot of decent equality ideals have come out of the original founders. But I’m not sure that the original founders would have wanted some of it. India’s founders may have got inspiration from the Declaration of Independence. But I don’t think America’s founders would have cared if India were free; I think they would’ve thought India should be ruled by the British.
“If American has become a pioneer for other nations to follow, I think it’s mostly by chance. A lot of the time America may have been portrayed as amazing land of freedom for others to aspire to, but what others were told was not super accurate. I think America was given more credit than it deserved.”
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Barack Obama, July 4, 2016: “It's important to remember what a miracle this country is. How incredibly lucky we are that people, generations ago, were willing to take up arms and fight for our freedom. And then people, inside this country, understanding that there were imperfections in our union and were willing to keep on fighting on behalf of extending that freedom to all people and not just some.
“And that story of independence is not something that happens and then we just put away. It's something that we have to fight for every single day. It's something that we have to nurture, and we have to spread the word, and we have to work on. And it involves us respecting each other. And it involves us recognizing that there are still people in this country who are going hungry -- and they're not free because of that. There are still people in this country who can't find work -- and freedom without the ability to contribute to society and put a roof over your head or look after your family, that's not yet what we aim for.
"And so on a day like this, we celebrate, we have fun, we marvel at everything that's been done before, but we also have to recommit ourselves to making sure that everybody in this country is free; that everybody has opportunity; that everybody gets a fair shot; that we look after all of our veterans when they come home; that we look after our military families and give them a fair shake; that every child has a good education. That is what we should be striving for on Independence Day.”
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Donald Trump, July 3, 2020: “Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our Founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities. Many of these people have no idea why they are doing this, but some know exactly what they are doing. They think the American people are weak and soft and submissive. But no, the American people are strong and proud, and they will not allow our country, and all of its values, history, and culture, to be taken from them. …
“In our schools, our newsrooms, even our corporate boardrooms, there is a new far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance. If you do not speak its language, perform its rituals, recite its mantras, and follow its commandments, then you will be censored, banished, blacklisted, persecuted, and punished. It’s not going to happen to us.
“Make no mistake: this left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution. In so doing, they would destroy the very civilization that rescued billions from poverty, disease, violence, and hunger, and that lifted humanity to new heights of achievement, discovery, and progress. To make this possible, they are determined to tear down every statue, symbol, and memory of our national heritage.”
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The Kid, July 4, 2020: “The Declaration and the Constitution in a lot of parts make sense. People should absolutely be treated equally. But I’m not sure the founders had such revolutionary ideals, since they weren’t really talking about all people. What we’re doing on the Fourth of July is not celebrating the idea of equality; we’re glamorizing the people who wrote the words, when those people were vastly problematic and racist and came from a time — well, let’s just say that’s not a super great time in our history.
“The idea of equality: let’s celebrate that! Let’s celebrate Juneteenth! Let’s celebrate the freeing of enslaved people! We should be more celebratory of people who actually thought of equality for all, not just for white male property owners. There are better people to celebrate and glorify than these men and the founding of an inherently racist country.”
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Joe Biden, July 4, 2020: “Our nation was founded on a simple idea: We're all created equal. We've never lived up to it — but we've never stopped trying. This Independence Day, let's not just celebrate those words, let's commit to finally fulfill them. Happy Fourth Of July!”
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