For nearly two decades a July Fourth ritual has been listening to the Declaration of Independence read by National Public Radio correspondences. I can picture the kitchen on Marine Street where we first heard it.
The reading did a couple of things. First, it was surprising that it takes less than nine minutesto read aloud. Seeing that huge square-ish sheet of parchment with that fine script, well, seems it would take much longer to read aloud.
The second realization are the words and phrases themselves There are the well worn and very familiar portions like We hold these truths to be self-evident, and all men are created equal and unalienable Rights, and Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Hearing it, one realizes that the great document is basically a note left on the dinning room table when the spouse leaves. Tom Jefferson wrote a note, albeit a long one, to King George saying that since he’s been such a jerk, we were leaving, and that by the laws of common decency, we have the right to split.
And it’s a good list. Like most bad relationships, we probably should have left sooner, but certainly should not have stayed any longer.
Here is the reading.