National Chairman's Letter
The Declaration of
Independence
February 2002
Dear Members and Friends of the Independent American Party,
Our IAP National Mission includes the phrase "with a strong reliance
on the Declaration of Independence." And the first and second
principles of our IAP National Principles state:
We believe that to maintain freedom, our political
institutions must be founded upon faith in God and moral laws as declared in the
Declaration of Independence, the Constitution for the United States and the Bill
of Rights.
We believe that God has endowed men with certain
unalienable rights as set forth in the Declaration of Independence and that no
citizen, group of citizens or government may limit or destroy these rights. The
function of government is to protect life, liberty, and property; anything more
than this is usurpation and oppression.
It was June 7, 1776, when Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced in
Congress the fatal resolution calling for complete separation of the American
colonies from Great Britain. They appointed a special committee of five to write
a formal declaration of independence. Thomas Jefferson was chosen within the
committee to write the initial draft. Congress assembled July 2 as an informal
"Committee of the Whole" to freely discuss the draft. The evening of
July 4, Congress, in formal session, approved a somewhat modified version of the
document, which we now know as the Declaration of Independence.
Those 56 gallant men, choice individuals raised up by God, truly pledged (and
risked) their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor in signing that very
"radical" document that declared "all men are created equal
... with certain unalienable rights" such as "Life, Liberty and
the pursuit of Happiness"; that governments derive "their just
powers from the consent of the governed"; and that "these
United Colonies ... are free and independent states." 14 of the
delegates did lose their lives, 17 did lose their fortunes or went broke, but
none of them lost their sacred honor.
On signing, John Adams said, "There's a divinity that shapes our
ends.... If it be the pleasure of Heaven that my country shall require the poor
offering of my life, the victim shall be ready.... But while I do live, let me
have a country, or at least the hope of a country, and that a free
country." The Liberty Bell was rung a hundred times, and resounded the
words from Leviticus (25:10), "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land
unto all the inhabitants thereof."
The Supreme Court has since ruled that the Declaration of Independence is
part of our law. The Bill of Rights, as intended by the Founding Fathers, were
added to the Constitution as a check against the federal government, but not the
states (since the states already had their own protection of rights). In
contrast, the Declaration of Independence applies to all levels of government in
the United States.
But our government and many Americans today eschew the rights given us by the
Declaration of Independence! Here are some examples:
"All Men are created equal" -- some minority groups have
lobbied for and received more rights and privileges than others to the detriment
of our society.
"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" -- protection
of life is shunned for the unborn, the people favor security and centralized
government over personal liberty and responsibility, and our pursuit of
happiness is impeded by oppressive taxation and government intrusion.
"He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone" --
analogous to administrative review board judges that are part of the executive
branch.
"He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of
Officers to harass our People" -- think IRS, EPA, BLM, OSHA, etc.
"He has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign
to our Constitution" -- think United Nations and the New World Order.
"For cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World" --
our trade has been weakened through the effects of WTO, NAFTA, GATT, and other
trade treaties.
"For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent" -- we are
more heavily taxed today than our ancestors were under British rule.
"For depriving us in many Cases of the Benefits of Trial by
Jury" -- administrative review boards are now the forum for the factual
determination of "public rights."
"For ... altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments"
-- seen with regional government and administrative agencies that are immune to
our Constitutional checks and balances.
"For suspending our own Legislatures" -- seen in part today
as the federal government usurps the rights of states through unconstitutional
legislation, executive orders and judicial decrees.
"And ... with a firm Reliance on the Protection of Divine
Providence" -- eschewed by the non-Constitutional notion of separation
of church and state, the undermining of our Christian heritage, and the spread
of paganism and immorality in America.
Thomas Jefferson said, "My God! how little do my countrymen know what
precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth
enjoy!"
May we Americans remember and re-cherish the precious rights recognized by the Declaration of Independence; and honor the document and the sacrifices
made for us by our forefathers. Let us resolve to resist the loss of those
rights, the loss of our heritage, and the loss of our way of life. Let us fight
for our families, our nation, and our God -- the Author of Liberty!
Yours for Freedom!
Bruce Bangerter
IAP National Chairman
