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Declaration of Bill Baldwin
This declaration has not yet been adopted, and, therefore, only
reflects possible future action. The reasoning given is copied
directly from the United States Declaration of Independence, and the
list of grievances are all too real. For comments on this document,
e-mail me at Declaration@baldwincs.com
Although I have not yet done so, I hope that in the future I can
have a link here to a supporting document which will detail the
various grevences listed in this document.
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one
people 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 mankind requires
that they should declare the causes which impel them to the
separation.
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 among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of
the governed, -- 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 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 hath shewn, that mankind 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 invariably 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; and such is now the necessity which
constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The
history of the present government of United States is a history of
repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the
establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these peoples. To prove
this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
Laws have been passed which neglect the public good for the
private gain of individuals, individuals who, due to their wealth,
have no need for such consideration. The instances of this
happening are too numerous to mention.
Laws have been passed which neglect the rights of individual
who are are have not assented to the sovereignty of the United
States, often denying them the rights of Life, Liberty, and,
certainly, the Pursuit of Happiness. In particular, the people
residing in Iraq and Afghanistan, who have been killed without
trial, and who are detained without the protection of the law, or
treaties the United States has signed.
The right of the people to select their representatives has
been abridged by having using electoral processes to thwart the will
of the people, who are, indeed, the source of the very power the
government claims to represent. In particular, voting methods are
used with insure the victory of individuals or groups acceptable to
the status quo rather than answerable to the people.
The rights of the people to express views contrary to that of
elected leaders has been abridged by calling them dangerous, or by
subjecting people who chose to use this right to unneeded
surveillance, and prosecution.
Enemies have been courted in far off lands, and people and
states have been given cause to hate and wage war against the people
of the United States, and me as an individual.
Laws have been passed which prevent friends and relatives
from other parts of the world from visiting, often for trivial
reasons.
The police and court system has been tampered with, and
justice not served to the point were the courts are more of a
lottery than a forum for justice.
The judges in the courts have been selected based on their
idealogical background rather than their impartiality and dedication
to uphold the truth, and the laws of the land.
Such an enormous variety of laws which are hopelessly complex
have been passed that it is not possible for any person not to break
some law, thus rendering all laws irrelevant.
Standing armed forces have been kept in times of peace, which
have made the United States a treat to world peace, and been an
economic strain for the people of the United States.
The disaffection that this standing military has generated in
the world has been used as an excuse to deny the rights to the
people which the government was set up to ensure.
Treaties have been made among the community of nations for
the good of all of humankind, and these treaties have either been
rejected by the government, or have been unilaterally negated.
Perpetrators of the injustice ascribed to the law have been
set above the law because they profess to be public servants in the
employ of the government.
Treaties have been enacted which do not deal fairly with
other nations in trade or in matters of war and peace.
Excessively high taxes have been collected often from those
people least able to pay the tax, and for purposes which are often
obscure, or misstated.
Policies have been enforced, in many cases, which do not
allow the benefits of Trial by Jury.
In many cases where jury trials are allowed, the right of the
jury to judge the laws as being unjust has been hidden from the
jury.
Often the treat of court trials has been used as a means of
forcing people to admit to crimes for which they may or may not have
been guilty strictly for the government.
The rule of law has been abridged by assuming that the
majority political party is to get all of the rights and privileges
in congress, often not allowing legitimate debate on issues which
are of importance to the people of the United States.
The government has through law and policy usurped the rights
of the various states to regulate the well being of the people of
the state and declaring that they have the right to regulate
whatever aspect of human life they desire to regulate.
Law and policies have been passed which deny the people the
right to Life, Liberty, and the invaluable right to vote, often for
reasons which are only that the people do not share the same
political view as the government.
Even as I write this large armies of soldiers are endeavoring
to do additional damage to the reputation of the United States in a
war that cannot but bring insecurity, and death.
People have been forced by the government into economic
conditions where thievery appears to be the only hope for living,
yet the courts have been so arbitrary that often the only hope for
justice is in violence.
While slavery is specifically disallowed by the Constitution
of the United States, yet the government ignores the rights of the
people to be economically free, thereby resulting in a slavery.
This is accomplished by the government ignoring fiscal
responsibility for some imagined goal.
In every stage of these Oppressions the people have Petitioned for
Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been
answered only by repeated injury. A government 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 these petitions been violent. However, often the
government chooses not to acknowledge the existence of such
protestations against their policies unless the petitions are, in
fact, violent, thereby encouraging the protestations to become
violent. ("Where peaceful change is not possible, violent change
is inevitable.")
I, therefore, as a Representatives of the Human race, appealing to
the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of my intentions,
do, in the Name, and by the Authority of vested in me by nature,
solemnly publish and declare, I am, and of Right ought to be Free and
Independent; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the United
States, and that all political connection between myself and the
United States, is and ought to be totally dissolved. And for the
support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection
of divine Providence, I pledge my Life, my Fortunes and my sacred
Honor.
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