The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress, in Philadelphia, on July 4, 1776. The second paragraph, as reprinted in Webster’s second edition c1983 reads: "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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted..."

The Declaration is a beautiful piece of thought expressed in words, and became a fulcrum that shifted concepts of government worldwide. It opened up remarkable opportunities for people to live, worship, do business, experiment, and flourish in ways that had been impossible under the reign of a king.  The premise is an interesting one: self-evident truths. There is no appeal to the opinions of others, nor a reliance on precedent. It is a bold originative statement: "We hold these truths".

The Basic Premise of our country is that Life and Liberty come from the Creator, and the Continental Congress, a miniscule minority of the population, had the courage to say so, and to stick with it. Even that remarkable group faltered during the arduous revolution, failing to back up the generals in the field. Most of the soldiers had to be bribed, cajoled, or forced to stay the course. Most of the time they were paid only a fraction of that promised.

The birth of our nation hinged on the commitment of a very, very few individuals. The closing pledge in the Declaration reads: "...with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." They valued the principle of Liberty above their own lives, and personal fortunes.

A popular song lyric of today is: "I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free, and I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me..." Some have proposed this as the new National anthem. While it arouses a nice sentiment, I believe the founders would sadly look the other way if "honored" in this way. They made huge sacrifices to demonstrate that a right is not given by any man, woman, or king. It comes directly from the Creator, as an attribute of Life itself. Liberty is part and parcel of our Divine inheritance. Can we honor their commitment to a principle, while ignoring the principle itself?

Dr Fleet, founder of the Concept-Therapy Institute and course of study, develops the idea far beyond the realm of government, in the text Basic Principles c1958, 1974: "Perfect liberty is the consciousness that we are not thus bound by any Power of Evil but that, on the contrary, we are centers in which the Creative Spirit of the universe finds particular expression." Fleet goes to the root of political and social questions with the observation, also from Basic Principles: "First set people right individually, and they will naturally set themselves right collectively...Let the relation between [Universal Mind and Individual Mind] be clearly understood, and all other relations will settle themselves on lines which, however varied in form, will always be characterized by individual liberty working to the expression of perfect social harmony."

Teilhard De Chardin observed that a species under pressure has two possible configurations that will inevitably relieve the pressure. One is crystallization, or in human terms, a social cataleptic response: totalitarianism. The beginnings of this response are well under way today. The other potential is the one that Dr Fleet invested his life and treasure in: transformation. The possibility of becoming much more than we now are, through understanding the fixed ideas that bind us, individually and collectively. The path of faith, based on knowledge, attained by facing fear, not by cringing in the presence of it. A growth of self-mastery, with the potential of true liberty.

A quote widely attributed to Mark Twain reads: "History may not repeat itself, but it does rhyme". Once again we have a world in turmoil. Once again, there are a very few willing to stand firm on principle. And for those few, there’s work to do. Choose, soul.

Liberty 1. Freedom or release from slavery, imprisonment, captivity, or any other form of arbitrary control. 2. The sum of rights and exemptions possessed in common by the people of a community, state, etc. 3. in philosophy, freedom to choose; absence of the control of necessity