Leadership

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The United States Declaration of Independence enacted by the Continental Congress July 4, 1776, has as its second sentence the following statement:

"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."

Do you believe this? Think before you answer because your answer carries some heavy-weight ideology. Equality? No defining or limiting attributes? Old, young, male, female, any race or mixture thereof, any size or shape, just the simple all-encompassing statement that all humanity is created equal and endowed by their Maker with absolute, unalienable rights.

As a young nation, we gave our unqualified assent to this statement. Has anything changed to cause us to take a different position now? If so, what? Certainly it wasn't the original statement. There it is, clear as day, just as it was when first written. Then it must be we who have changed.

Wonder why?

What now makes us think we can divide humankind into deserving and undeserving? I think we have lost the high moral ground upon which this nation was founded, and losing that, we have lost everything that sets us apart. Not only are we not exceptional, we have not even kept to the original standard. We now are challenged by completely arbitrary standards as to who is equally endowed by his Maker to pursue life, liberty and happiness.

We have moved the goal posts, and are in danger of forfeiting the game as a result of it.

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