Articles - The Power of Change

by Andrew Von Sonn, J.D.

What is sacred in our system, what's Gospel in our system, is the Declaration of Independence.

This is where the fundamental contract between We the People and our government is spelled out. It is always relevant.

These aren't just ideals. Government's legitimacy is premised upon its concurrence of governmental "Form" with its obligation to "secure our Rights" - Rights which are oft-repeated but too often not heard:

Each and every one of us is "created equal." "(We) are endowed (DNA stuff) by (our) Creator with certain unalienable (cannot be transferred) Rights, that among them are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." This is foundational. This is about freedom.

Government's primary function is to "secure these Rights."

"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

The point is our Form is not sacred. What is sacred is recognition of our inherent Rights and government's inherent duty to both respect and "secure these Rights."

This means we are not eternally bound to any specific Form of governmental system - including the obvious, such as governmental units and how people are taxed, but also including our monetary system and the rules we set for corporations doing business in our country or the rules we set for anyone who does business on Wall Street.

Everything is subject to change and We the People hold the inherent power to effect change. The Form is not sacred; we are.

We have Rights to a system whose rules do not favor any particular individual or group or whatever, rules that look out for all of us, rules that reflect both our Creator given equality, as well as our Creator endowed fundamental Rights.