July 4th is a good time to reflect on our founding documents – the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. As a combat veteran, I know the sacrifices the founding fathers made in signing the Declaration of Independence. I know the screams of dying buddies. I know Independence is not just picnics, cherry pies, and fireworks. I also know this nation is fundamentally an ideal – an ideal based on self-sacrifice for the common good to benefit society. The Constitution starts with “We the People of the United States,” and talks of the common good. The Declaration of Independence states that governments are instituted to secure the unalienable rights of individuals, but governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. Currently, in Republican-led states, there is a push to prevent minorities from voting, violating the principles of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Furthermore, it is a betrayal of the sacrifices made by all who fought to defend the ideal of this great nation. I encourage everyone to read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, to support the inclusiveness of both documents, and to participate in our democracy by voting.
