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.�
This wonderful, and wonderfully inspiring, passage from
the Declaration of Independence outlines basic rights that were hard-won by
our nation�s founders, and have been protected over the centuries at
enormous sacrifice and cost by our men and women in uniform.
The rights we all now enjoy first took flight when 56
leading citizens (including Thomas Jefferson and six other Virginians) from
the original 13 colonies signed and sent a bold Declaration of Independence
to the King of England, thereby risking their lives and everything else for
the sake of securing liberty for themselves and their fellow colonists. The
easy route for all of these signers, of course � the simple route, the safe
route � would have been to do nothing.
That they chose instead to risk all and sign this
audacious assertion of freedom makes their pen strokes true profiles in
courage that many of us in the modern age may have difficulty comprehending,
drenched as we are by 21st-century media, who shower us with stories that
confuse celebrity with heroism, athletic skill with courage, and
inconvenience with sacrifice. We are all beneficiaries of the breathtaking
courage and amazing vision of our nation�s founders, who built our republic
of solid stuff and, like the soaring cathedrals of medieval Europe,
constructed it to last through the ages.
A careful reading of the passage
above from the Declaration of Independence clearly shows that gov�ernments
are the instrument of the people, not the reverse, and are created as a way
to secure our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Our nation�s founders created a masterpiece of political
functionality, a near-perfect governmental system that�s precisely balanced
to correct the injustices of imperfect people, to ensure rule by the
majority, and to protect the rights of those in the minority. Nothing before
or since has come close to matching our republic�s functional elegance. And
with few exceptions, this system has provided us with some 220 years� worth
of free elections and peaceful transfers of power, from George Washington
forward.
Virginia, of course, has been blessed since the nation�s
founding with strong, visionary leaders representing many different
political parties. Most recently, the torch of leadership has been passed
from Democrat Tim Kaine to Republican Bob McDonnell. We thank Governor Kaine
for his service to the Commonwealth, and we congratulate Governor McDonnell
on his election, and wish him well as he ascends to a post that marks the
highest honor that can be bestowed upon a Virginian by the Commonwealth�s
citizens.
In next month�s issue of Cooperative Living, you will find
our annual Virginia State Legislative Guide. In it will be photos and
contact information on the 140 members of the General Assembly, and the
three statewide officeholders headed by Governor McDonnell, and also
including Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and Attorney General Ken
Cuccinelli, to both of whom we also extend congratulations on their
election. The General Assembly begins its deliberations on Jan. 13, and we
encourage you to keep informed on the issues being debated by our state�s
leaders, and to use our guide to stay in touch with your legislators on the
issues important to you and your family. Doing so is a wonderful way to pay
homage to the sacrifices and the vision of this nation�s founders.
