Written by Leslye Colvin
Author of Pax Christi USA’s “Seeking Wisdom’s light: Reflections for Advent 2024”
Use this link to find additional resources related to the 250th anniversary of the US.
“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.”
In isolation, these words from the Declaration of Independence as adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 inspire hope. Yet, when placed within the context of time, from then until now, the words are unfulfilled for many.
History implores us to question the sincerity of those who signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776. Did they believe or act as though “all men are created equal” and “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”? Beginning by acknowledging only men, the document proceeds to dehumanize the land’s Indigenous peoples by referring to them as “savages.” Unlike the first draft, the final document includes no reference to Africans who were kidnapped, racialized and dehumanized to build the nation and create wealth for others with free and forced labor.
The Declaration of Independence preceded the end of the Revolutionary War, which was ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783. It is impossible to know how different the world would be if more signatories of the Declaration had not been invested in the slave trade – of the 56 signers, 41 were enslavers – or if they might have followed the example of William Whipple, who heard and respected the argument of a man whom he enslaved. Prince Whipple, the enslaved man, spoke of the hypocrisy of fighting for one’s liberty while refusing to liberate the enslaved. Both men fought for independence from the British. As promised, William freed Prince on February 22, 1781.
State sanctioned injustice and violence continue to be experienced today by those of Indigenous and African ancestry as well as others. The land’s Indigenous people were not recognized as citizens until 1924. With the abortion of Reconstruction and the defiant moral turpitude of individual states, it would be another century before civil and voting rights were enshrined in law. This marks the nation’s true birth as a democracy.
Today, many people are demanding the recognition of their humanity and unalienable rights. The racialized and xenophobic systemic violence of the United States is a blatant threat to its existence as a pluralistic democratic republic. The weakest link is no secret. Neutering this violence and the accompanying mindset are long-term monumental tasks impeded by those who deny its existence.
By restoring the narratives of peoples individually and collectively dehumanized, silenced and executed, in and by our nation, we affirm their humanity for posterity as a part of our legacy. Like Pax Christi USA, there are many organizations and institutions across the United States committed to this important and just work. By supporting and partnering with them, we provide space for the essential nonviolent practice of healing, liberation and reconciliation to thrive on this land after we are gone.
Thankfully, someone, in this case, Leslye Colvin, has had the the skills of an objective and close reader of history, not to mention, courage, to enable an objective critique of what for too many is the quasi-sacrosanct Declaration of Independence. The obvious contradictions expressed in that 1776 document made it overwhelmingly clear that it was an exclusionary declaration vis-à-vis the kidnapped, trafficked, and dehumanized persons from many areas of Africa, the First Nations persons living on the North American continent (addressed as “savages”) and even women of European origin. Understandably, when at Mass on the Fourth of July our recently ordained and new parish priest exhorted us to read and appreciate this, in his opinion, extraordinary gift, I, like a perfect coward, refrained from saying anything. Nevertheless, I wonder what type of persons our seminaries are turning loose on us. At least I will have the common sense to never ask his thoughts on the ordination of women.
David-Ross Gerling, PhD
This commentary underscores the hypocrisy of the founders of this nation while the ideals expressed require us to unite as companions on a journey toward a truly United States of America.