of what government did; but for what the government was prevented from doing by the Constitution and its Bill of Rights.
(See more about this in July 3 post.)

When on July 4, 1776, the colonies had endured more than enough war with the oppressive British, 56 brave men representing 13 colonies signed the Declaration of Independence.
Now, every July 4 we celebrate this courageous action which began the greatest experiment in human liberty in history - the United States of America.
Reflecting the philosophical base of the U.S., the Declaration states, "Men...are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights...to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted..." - statements presented as self-evident...truths, not speculation or mere opinion. They are the essence of the U.S.A.
The Founders did not envision redistribution of wealth, or government paternalism, or government control of our lives.
Rather, they wanted government to possess only the power of curtailing any infringements upon Rights, either by criminals or by government.
The Founders proclaimed that there is a God who gave us our Rights so they used those God-given Rights to form a government with the sole purpose of protecting those Rights.
Another group of Founders produced the U.S.Constitution, based on the philosophical Declaration of Independence.
The Constitution's main feature is limitation of the federal government to very few specific tasks.
Today, far too many Americans have no clue to the wisdom in these documents.
America became the envy of the world - not because of what government did - but because of what government was prevented from doing by the Constitution and its Bill of Rights.

QUOTE BY JAMES HOWELL

"Never help out a sneer, even at the devil."
QUOTE BY VACHEL LINDSAY 1879-1931

"is no guarantee of its truth."
QUOTE BY W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM 1874-1965 - The Razor's Edge