All Men are Created Equal

"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."

This statement is the heart of the Declaration of Independence. This transformational thought changed world history. No longer did men believe that they they must be governed by kings and be forced to live a life of servitude. No longer did men need be ruled by kings, religious dogma or the cultural confines of birth.
This thought originated from 17th century Europe during the "Age of Enlightenment" which was an intellectual revolution that challenged tradition and emphasized reason and individualism.
The American Revolution was first an intellectual revolution that gave birth to a military conflict. 
I celebrate the "Fourth of July"  tradition like many of you with family and friends.  However, I struggle with reconciling the idea of Jefferson's elegant prose with  the reality then and today. Like the era when this idea was postulated, today we still have too many brothers and sisters who don't live the reality of equality.  I see traditional and cultural limitations like soldiers fighting against the soldiers of reason and understanding.  The war for equality never ended.
Today in honor of Independence Day I stand in solidarity with all people in this country that have not yet realized the American Dream of equality and the pursuit of happiness espoused by our Founders and Framers of our constitution.
The Revolutionary War with Britain may have ended in 1783 but the war for equality rages on in our hearts NS minds and will continue to as long as American citizens are marginalized, discriminated against, and denied their constitutional rights that many brave Americans died for.
We owe it to posterity to live up to the ideas they fought for and to realize the dream of equality for all Americans not just a select few.
- God Bless America