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Years of thought and study have convinced me that the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence is probably the most powerful and effective document ever published - a bold statement indeed.
Consider briefly as we compare the Declaration of Independence with the Renaissance. The Renaissance awoke a complacent and sleepy Europe during the 14th-16th centuries, changing its art, science, music, architecture and history. However, though the Renaissance propelled the Medieval into history's modern era and improved the lives of people, still its masses remained predominantly unchanged - a vast peasant class in perpetual servanthood.
One's vision of himself often determines what he accomplishes in life. I once heard a man express his particular vision of himself by saying "a turkey buzzard layed me and the sun hatched me." He knew better, but what is obvious is his vision of himself was neither lofty nor sublime.
I exuberantly submit that the second paragraph of the Declaration is a powerful motivational tool inspiring individuals toward embracing an ever-greater vision of themselves.
Where did the founding fathers conceive such corporately and individually empowering ideas in the age of the divine right of kings?
I close with another question: How could the United States arrive as the No. 1 invention leader in science, manufacturing, education and agricultural technology? Remeber, the United States is the land of Edison, Ford, Firestone, McCormick and John Deere. Could it be its citizens know who they are, as stated in the second paragraph of its Declaration of Independence?
Howard W. Payne