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.
What a turning point in history this statement was on the first Fourth of July 233 years ago. Yet this bold ideal was proclaimed long in advance of any practical chance of fulfillment. The author of these words was an owner of African slaves. Nobody at the time worried whether “men” was a generic term that also included “women.” Nor did anyone give any thought to whether it applied to people known at the time by words like “barbarians” and “savages.” Yet it worked pragmatically in the long run as an ideal that reformers could appeal to again and again.
So 87 years later, another eloquent writer and speaker could appeal to these words to fight for the end of slavery in the United States:
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.
And slavery did indeed end, yet legal equality for African-Americans did not arrive. So 100 years later, another great American would say:
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
And thanks to the efforts of the civil rights movement he led, African-Americans achieved legal equality.
“Created equal” is a principle yet to be accepted in most of the world, which perhaps has a lot to do with why most of the world is still not developed. Inequality of rights between elites and majorities, between ethnic and religious groups, between men and women is pervasive. But perhaps we can hope that this ideal still serves as a beacon that crusaders continue to cite in their ongoing struggle for the dignity and rights of every man and woman.
6 Comments
People tend to conflate ‘equality of rights’ with ‘all men are born equal’ with ‘all people are equal’
We may be all created equal, but we aren’t all equal (thank God), and we certainly all don’t have equal rights.
The first two will never be true, and I doubt the third will be either, but it is the one we strive towards.
But that might just be a pedantic interpretation of the pure meaning of the terms.
It’s amazing the U.S. has achieved the statement within 200 years, albeit not perfect, it is, in contrast, shamed to look back at the long history of China, a country in which the people usually are proud of the length of its existence while sometime making fun of Americans: still writing the history.
For the past 2000plus years for China, not until the Opium War the Chinese society had been like completely in coma: alternate dynasties replacement over and over again without any real enhancement in people’s ethics respecting what equality is meant to be. People were so used to a society led, controlled, and exploited by elites, a society the majority barely talked about equality. The situation doesn’t change too much even in the current society of China, still a totalitarian government, which is ironic since the communist party once revolted for the ideas like “freedom”, “democracy.”
For these luxuries, I hope China is already on the way, heading to the target, so are others where the “created equality” has not been accepted yet.
I LOVE this and will rt on twitter. I HATE how easily a socialists can use these words to twist the understanding as our ‘fathers’ meant.
@Stray
You did it justice by pointing out the difference. Thank you. It does not mean ‘right’ to water/electricity/health care/education/driver’s license, etc etc. but the ‘right’ for the freedom to pursue those things.
PS. I love they way your blog ‘blockquotes’ your quotes. Can anyone tell me how to do this same look and feel?
@zulusafari
The blockquote is all done via definitions in the style sheet. If you view the source of the page, then get the stylesheet links, the answers should all be in there.
Here is a link to the address itself.
Does personal liberty cause development?
In Fourth of July Edition, Aid Watch says: “Created equal” is a principle yet to be accepted in most of the world, which perhaps has a lot to do with why most of the world is still not developed. Inequality…