Happy 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Lee Resolution (which stated "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States... absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown) and the beginning of Congress' consideration of the Declaration of Independence.
Celebrate this wonderful nation of ours this weekend!
"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."
"This consciousness of divine grace of the elect and holy was accompanied by an attitude toward the sin of one's neighbour, not of sympathetic understanding based on consciousness of one's own weakness, but of hatred and contempt for him as an enemy of God bearing the signs of eternal damnation." -Max Weber, "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism"
May we all live with humility and kindness.
"People have told me that this is what you're supposed to do with power. You're supposed to punish your opponents. Really? Is that how it's supposed to work here? Crushing the minority opposition is not a demonstration of strength. It's an admission of fear and a show of weakness. Maybe we've become convinced that the only way to preserve the republic is to implement policies that are contrary to the founding ideas of the republic. I don't seek power to punish. I want to uplift. Competition makes you better, y'all. A legitimate opponent will make a competitor better every time. They do it to you, so you should do it to them? Do unto others as you believe they would do unto you? Is that what we teach our children? I think you should do what you know to be right."