By the time the Declaration of Independence was signed in July 1776, the British had been waging war against the Colonies for more than a year. The Shot Heard ‘Round the World at Lexington and Concord was fought on April 19, 1775, and marked the outbreak of armed conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and its thirteen colonies in the mainland of British North America.
Two hundred and thirty-five years ago representatives from this country’s thirteen colonies met in Philadelphia and, after much heated debate, approved a congressional proposal to officially engage in armed revolution with the British military to secure America’s freedom from English domination and the stifling control of the tyrant king. A reluctant Thomas Jefferson agreed to craft a “declaration” enumerating the many reasons for the decision, in order ...to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take.
When Injustice Becomes Law, Resistance Becomes Duty
Today we are confronted with a new but comparable effort to impose authoritarian rule on this country, as American democracy is perilously close to being transformed into a form of government ruled by far-right wing ideologies. There are startling parallels between the Colonists’ anger with England and what is happening today between the progressive and regressive parties. As King George refused to act on all the petitions presented to him on behalf of the Colonies, the current GOP Congress has said “NO” to everything President Obama has proposed in support of all Americans.
So now the time has come to commence a revolution against the seditious manipulation by these extremists that has halted progress in this country for nearly three years. It is our right, and it is our duty.
As the Continental Congress did in 1776, we must present for our countrymen’s edification those issues with which we take great exception, by stating the specific causes that impel us to this action.
The 21st Century Declaration
When in a democratic system of government one political party engages in a relentless and comprehensive practice of obstructionism and injustice toward its citizens that creates a threat to the common good, it becomes incumbent upon the opposing party to bring an end to those regressive practices.
America’s Charges Against the Political Right
They have continuously waged cruel war against women, including a proposed “Personhood” amendment that would elevate a fertilized human egg to the status of a legal person, thus banning IUDs, the morning-after pill, in-vitro fertilization, and all abortions with no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or in cases where the life of a woman is at risk.
They have continued their mission to prevent the wealthiest Americans from having to pay their fair share by refusing to put hundreds of thousands of Americans back to work.
They support the collapse of the world banking system.
They have conducted a wide-scale attack on business, safety, and financial regulations.
They have blocked a stimulus plan to raise taxes on millionaires that would create or protect 400,000 jobs for teachers and firefighters.
They have continued to assert that the President of the United States was not born in America, even after being presented with indisputable proof of his citizenship.
They have engaged in a determined effort to suppress voting in upcoming elections.
They have advocated and carried out violent acts against their political opponents as well as private citizens of this country.
They have prohibited government funding for environmental disaster victims.
They have made a mockery of the democratic process by refusing to allow the President’s jobs bill to be voted on in the House of Representatives.
They have protected a corporate tax system that allows many of America’s most profitable corporations to pay little or nothing in federal income taxes.
They have conspired with the twenty most dangerous anti-American conservative organizations to destroy our way of life.
They have aligned themselves with, and taken orders from, the anti-American Koch Brothers. These two people spent more than $34 million on efforts to sabotage and weaken union organization and fighting against public sector pay raises for state and union workers. They have supported anti-immigration laws, mass media smear campaigns against healthcare reform, and the continuation of foreclosures on working people’s homes.
They have signed extortionist pledges from far-right organizations to not raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans and to fight the legalization of same-sex marriage.
They have abdicated their legislation-writing responsibilities to the corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), where global corporations and state politicians vote behind closed doors to try to rewrite state laws that govern our rights. These so-called "model bills" reach into almost every area of American life and often directly benefit huge corporations. Through ALEC, corporations have "a VOICE and a VOTE" on specific changes to the law that are then proposed in our states. See HERE and HERE.
They have preyed upon the fears of elderly and low information voters.
They have proposed and supported a budget plan that would provide the largest tax cuts in history for the wealthy, would raise taxes for the middle class, end guaranteed Medicare, privatize Social Security, and erode health care.
They were directly responsible for the U.S. credit rating being downgraded.
By exploiting the First Amendment, the corporate owned media has successfully argued that it has the right to lie or deliberately distort news reports on the public airwaves.
They advocate letting banks continue to foreclose on struggling Americans instead of allowing homeowners to refinance their mortgages.
They would support eliminating the minimum wage.
The Revolution Has Begun!
Let it be acknowledged that Americans are now viewing right wing extremism with great alarm, and on November 8, 2011, they began to fight the battle to rescue our country.
Mississippi voters said “NO” to the 'Personhood' amendment.
In Ohio, voters overwhelmingly defeated Issue 2, the controversial anti-union law.
Maine voters succeeded in restoring a longstanding state law allowing voters to register as late as Election Day, while tossing aside a Republican-backed measure that would have required voters to enroll at least two days before an election is held.
Arizona voters in Mesa successfully recalled the immigration-bashing senate president, Russell Pearce.
We hereby resolve to continue sounding the battle cry: The Right is Wrong for America.
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