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…
Happy Independence Day from everyone here at Asphalt & Rubber. As we take the rest of the long weekend to celebrate the founding moments of our country 234 years ago, we’d like to acknowledge a few organizations that have fought for our rights as motorcyclists, journalists, and bloggers:
The American Motorcyclist Association – The American Civil Liberties Union – The Electronic Frontier Foundation
If you wish to acknowledge any other organizations that have fought for your personal freedom, pleas share them with us in the comments.
No related posts.
Please tell me that I am misunderstanding this post. The akcnoledgment at the bottom tells me that you support the ACLU? This is an organization that is formed opn comunist principles. They hide that fact but it is fact none the less.
I’d like to put the Armed Forces of the United States in here. Whether they be current members serving in Afghanistan or Iraq, or Veterans of wars long past, their sacrifices and contributions to our country and its’ freedom shall not be forgotten.
I’ll second the show of respect to our millitary veterans for their brave sacrifice.
ACLU? You must be kidding.
The ACLU protects Joe R.’s right to be wrong.
@ irksome.
Do your own research before you say that i’m wrong. I am correct!
I’d love to hear some of these “facts.”
Great blog post. It’s nice to re-read some of the actual lines from the declaration and take a step back from the modern hyper-critica and think about why and how the US became what it is. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. A body of men who took a step back, looked at the problems of the world and said, there is something better for us. I bet these guys would have rode motorcycles if they could….
Joe R. YOU are the one who needs to do the research as you have made the claim that the ACLU is based on Communist principles. But then again, so is real christianity. The ACLU fights for everyone. Are you a Tea Bagger by chance who also thinks that Thomas Paine is what Glenn Beck says he is?
“This is an organization that is formed opn comunist principles.” Cite your sources, please.
Yeah, the ACLU never does any good. Maybe they should not defend this guy:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/15/AR2010061505556.html
Ok, sorry couldn’t reply sooner. I had work to do. Look guys, I have done my own research long ago. I could give you many, many things but I will give you just one and you can do your own research if you are so inclined. Roger Baldwin the founder of the organization stated the following.
Roger Baldwin: “I am for socialism, disarmament, and ultimately for abolishing the state itself as an instrument of violence and compulsion. I seek social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class… Communism is the goal.”
Many otherfounding members have similar or more progressive ideals. You make up your own mind.
I am not talking about an arcticle in the washington post. I am talking about the true ideals of the organization.
So, you have the supposed statement of one of the founders about his personal beliefs. You’ve got jack diddly squat about the ORGANIZATION. Besides, Communism is a FAILED religon that only diaper-filing breast-feading Conservative Republicans give any thought to.
You have a right to your opinion. Some of us are just not as ready to be willing slaves to the State. Its more repulsive to lie to ourselves that we’re billy baddasses while groveling on our knees than it is to actually stand up.
http://www.carlosmiller.com
Land of the free and the home of the brave my ass!
Why so angry Tom? Did Limbaugh pee in your fair-trade organic matcha? Obama is in office, you should be happy now! (Lol, rolling eyes)
Joe R: It is well documented, you are right about the ACLU. You are not the only one who knows this. Never mind the Lib-tard peanut gallery.
There is no government. Only a vehicle for special interests to control us by threatening with death, economic ruination, or life in a cage. The old have built a welfare society upon the backs of the young. The poor stay poor. The middle-aged do all the work. Universal socialism for the elderly is consuming this country. 70% of all Federal revenues fund social initiatives which aren’t even enumerated in the Constitution (approx. $2trilion). Over 50% of the total Federal budget ($1.5T) is spent on the elderly in the form of pension, medical, and interest on the debt to pay the pension and medical bills. It is the greatest generational theft the world has ever known.
The old were deceived by politicians who were eager to take their money and leave them with nothing but promises. Healthcare reform, anyone?. Our generation cannot be so stupid. Democrats created this mess and they continue to make it worse. Republicans are dumb enough to believe they can build an artificial free market to pay for it all.
They will all burn in hell.
Happy July 4th. Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.
Great post. The government is certainly deeply flawed, all the more reason to remember the principles on which we based our revolution to free ourselves from the last tyrannical government.
The liberal/conservative divide doesn’t split in terms of liberty vs tyranny, it never has. The conservatives would leave us, at least in theory, free to conduct our economic affairs mostly as we like, but won’t allow us to watch the TV we want, have the porn we want, ride motorcycles when and where we want, marry who we like, dress how we like, consume, inject or inhale what we like, avail ourselves of the medical treatments most likely to help us or order virtually any other aspect of our lives in the way we wish free of their supervision.
It is combating these many attacks on personal liberties where the ACLU earns its keep. Sure its gets bogged down in other matters and tends to be pretty “liberal”, but its a strand of liberalism that’s needed to keep the social conservatives from turning this into a fascist state.
Similarly, the liberals would eventually lead us into socialism and subsequent economic collapse (wait, too late for that?). Many organizations push against this as well – FEE, CATO, The Locke Institute, The Institute for Justice, the entire field of Austrian Economics and many others.
Sadly neither political camp will really help the situation. Few voters think through a coherent political philosophy, finding it easier to vote for the president with the nicer hair, the more trendy campaign or the most lucrative bribes. Politicians then serve up what the masses clamor for. This has lead to two parties, neither of which has a consistent identity. Republicans taxed and spent like mad, the Democrats have done little to improve individual, personal liberties. Rather than press each other where they fundamentally agree they seem to be converging into a socially conservative, economically liberal totalitarian entity that will have both our personal liberties as well as our wallets.
No single political personality is going to save us from our own willingness to steal our fellow citizens’ cash (even if our method of coercion is the state), our haughty belief that we should dictate morals to each other or our general apathy that leads to incoherent policy and rampant special interest successes.
Truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror…
Now, anyone have directions for a certain Gulch in Colorado? I’m sure the riding there will be fantastic;)
ACLwhat???, not at all. Obama is a Democrat. I am not. That you would think that is enough shows that the depth of your thinking is as deep as a Limbaugh buy gold commercial. Some of us prefer to drag our knees through a corner….not to live on them.
You know, I blame the framers of the Constitution. They set up a system where things would be endlessly debated, where it would be very difficult to get anything done unless it was apparent to almost everyone that the thing needed doing, and where when something was finally decided, it could be overturned at any point down the road. Oh wait…that was the whole point.