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The destiny of America was not shaped in the minds of a few men who became the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Nor was it shaped by the social and cultural context in which they grew and in which their ideas concerning the future were given hope, air, and light. Rather, it was the provision of the Divine Creator that gave shape to the future of America, breathing into her conception a powerful motive that had to do with the future of the earth. All who took part in the historical drama that unfolded around the separation from the British and the taking on of the mantle of authority to govern the colonies and their inhabitants, were themselves infused by a higher purpose which came to them in several ways – as intuition, as hope, as a possibility of what could be - and most of all as a burning need that could not be quenched by fear or extinguished by doubt, that freedom was a priceless gift, and that to achieve it as fully and completely as possible was the aim and desire of every heart. There were also those who dissented from the notion of an independent republic. Though few in number, their voices still carried weight, and gave to the undertaking of writing the articles of separation which became the Declaration of Independence a fervor and passion that became all the more strong because it arose in the face of opposition, both at home and in what was anticipated from abroad. Nevertheless, the commitment and fervor with which each supporter of the new and independent republic embraced the unfolding necessity of events could not be changed by any amount of risk that appeared to them, nor any amount of fear related to the possibility of armed conflict. The precious gift of self-determination, of freedom from oppression, of freedom from manipulation by the needs of others, were deemed worthy of whatever conflict was to come, including that which might involve the sacrifice of life. Today, also, freedom is a rallying cry for many – in this case the cry of many to have their voices be heard, the freedom to be treated equally under the law, the freedom to not go hungry or homeless in a wealthy America, the freedom to not be persecuted or deprived of one's civil liberties by a government that has polarized the world into black and white and is operating on the basis of fear. The freedoms of yesterday are as priceless today as they were then. They are necessary to the furtherance of the destiny of America and they are necessary to the furtherance of the right of a people to maintain self-representation as the basis for a democratic form of government. These freedoms are being threatened today, and their weakening and future uncertainty are already in the awareness of those who watch over the future of this nation. It is time for all to awaken to the need to preserve and protect the freedoms upon which America has been built, so that in unity with one another and with the higher Realms of Light, America can move forward past the darkness that has descended upon her, into a new construction of identity. This new identity will be both a healing and a rebirth for the fundamental principles upon which she stands. It is none too soon to become aware of the portent of this present moment, for the passage into greater darkness and the usurpation of greater power in the hands of a few is already being staged by those who would commit this nation to an ongoing war, and by those who see no other recourse but to establish America's sovereignty upon the principle of 'might makes right'. This movement toward the enforcement of American authority upon the peoples of other nations cannot go unchecked, however, and therefore as the pressure builds to create a stronger stance in relation to foreign governments whose policies are considered threatening to the U.S., a similar pressure rises among those who feel compelled to resist the encroaching power of America in order to preserve their own culture and their own way of life. In order to emancipate ourselves from this grave situation, what is needed more than anything else is the understanding that freedom and self-determination must belong to all or they belong to none. Those who establish the semblance of freedom based on military might and enforced authority will one day live to see that freedom employed to reject the very source from which it supposedly came. And those who take actions which suppress the self-determination of others will one day find that what has taken place 'in the name of freedom' has actually bound America in ways that limit her greatness and creative potential, and at the same time bound the freedom that is central to the core of America's way of life. |