Dissident Voice

April 29, 2003

"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." Those are some really cool words found in the Declaration of Independence. The entire document was so profoundly well written that it has inspired freedom minded movements around the world ever since. Great Britain's King George III could have averted America's revolt, but empire building was more important to him and his wealthy suitors. Now, America and the world is faced with the third George to occupy our White House who is more concerned about empire building, world domination and relationships with wealthy suitors than he is with saving the planet.

I must admit, I too was duped into believing that our American way of life was the roadmap to future generation's happiness and well being. Now that the veil has been dropped and I see the obvious relationship between Corporate and Government powers, our "American way of life" is no more than a euphemism for rapid extraction of the world's resources for the quick profits of corporate elites. In other words, this American way of life is leading to the rapid destruction of our planet rather than the construction of a healthy ecosystem for future generations.

Repeated revelations about corruption and dubious corporate relationships with high Government officials, especially with the President, have not stopped nor slowed down the insatiable appetite of Corporate profiteers. Repeated mass demonstrations against this government's duplicity are met with disdain. Indeed, demonstrators are often portrayed as traitors and should be tried for treason! An Oregon legislator even suggested that demonstrators should be tried as such and spend up to 25 years in prison!!!

I recently reread the Declaration of Independence and have found those words so fitting for today's world events. The United States of America has lost control to Corporate elites who use our military power to dominate the world at what ever the cost. Our national government is no longer answerable to "We, the People…"

Saving the world is a family value. The Earth is our garden. We have no other place to plow. There must be a sustainable world environment today in order to ensure our grandchildren's future. I'm doing all the conscientious things, like recycle, consume less, garden, etc., but I still feel the need to address my frustration with our government.

So, I rewrote the Declaration of Independence. I hope I don't offend John Hancock and Thomas Jefferson and all the other framers of the Declaration of Independence. Given current events, I rather think they would applaud my effort. I only needed to change a few words here and there to make it fit into today's reality. I deleted the part about "the power to levy war" since I don't think a call to arms is necessary nor should there be any bloodshed. I believe a "war" of consciousness is necessary to make a difference.

I know no man is an island, but I feel as though I'm an island in an archipelago. As we communicate and press for needed world changes, turbulent waters that divide us will recede to reveal our connectedness. Once united, our planet will bloom again with the promise that future generations can prosper.

Declaration of Independence For People of the World

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for the People of the World to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of humankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people 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 among humanity, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these needs, it is the Right of the People of the World to alter or to abolish it, and institute a new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes: and accordingly all experience has shown, that people are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariable the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of the World's People; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present World Government is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over humanity. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

World Governments have abdicated Assent to Laws to Corporate Powers, which are in opposition to the public good.

World Governments pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance to Corporations.

World Governments pass other Laws for the accommodation of large Corporations and wealthy suitors, an inestimable abuse of power and formidable to tyrants only.

They have called together World legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of the public Records, for the sole purpose of gaining compliance with their measures and secreting away documents meant to subdue world populations into slavery.

They have dissolved Representative Voices repeatedly, for opposing their invasions on the rights of the people.

They have refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause Corporate Representatives to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation and scrutiny, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the People remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

They have endeavored to prevent the World's Masses to speak to each other through the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; by discouraging their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands favorable to Corporate Elites.

They have obstructed the Administration of Justice by abdicating Judiciary powers to Corporate representatives.

They have made Judges dependent on their will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount of payment of their salaries.

They have erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass People, and eat out the substance.

They have kept among us, even in times of peace, Standing Armies.

They have affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power and extracted exorbitant taxes to finance Military/Industrial operations.

They have combined with Corporations to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our Natural constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving them Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by mock Trials, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of this Planet:

For controlling our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

For abolishing the free System of Natural Laws in a neighboring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into the world:

For overruling our City and State Charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally our Forms of Local Governments:

For overruling our local Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

They have abdicated Government here, by declaring us incapable of self-governance and often waging War against us.

They plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of the World's people.

They at this time are transporting large Armies to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Treachery scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy of the Head of any civilized nation.

They have constrained our fellow World Citizens taken captive to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

They have excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and have endeavored to label peaceful demonstrators as Enemies of the State.

A Statement of Independence

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. Anyone whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our planetary unity. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of Consanguinity. We must, therefore, hold them in contempt but in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the People of a New World Order, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of the World, solemnly publish and declare, That these United People are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to Corporate Governments, and that all political connection between them and the Corporation is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent People, they have full Power to conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent People may of right do.

And for the support of the Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Ron Walley, LCSW, semi-retired from public service in Oregon, is now building a retreat center in Siskiyou County, northern California. He can be contacted at rmcwalley@aol.com