Nicolas Cage put it best in National Treasure when he said, “people don’t talk that way anymore.”
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.
If I wasn’t already, hearing that line would have made me proud to be an American. Once I actually sat down and broke down the words strung together to construct that sentence, I realized that I didn’t understand parts of it. After fully reading the Declaration of Independence, I can agree with Nicolas Cage that not only do people not “talk that way anymore”, but also that this particular part of the Declaration of Independence is a staple in the document. I would say that I work with and am surrounded by average people, with average intelligence; none of whom speak this eloquently. With technological advances and ‘Big Brother’, I do not feel that any person(s) could overthrow the United States of America even if they wanted to.
Getting back to literature and today’s jargon…. The art of brilliantly stringing a copious amount of words together is lost! The phraseology and common vernacular of today’s society has become stunted. Unfortunately, as much as I would love to hear people speak like they used to, it will never be a reality. I believe that the Declaration of Independence has parts that are confusing, so below is a breakdown of the Declaration.
The three main points to remember are:
- That all men are created equal
- That all men have some rights given to them by God
- That among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
The best breakdown I have found so far is Kidipede, Declaration of Independence.
I truly feel that as a citizen of the United States of America, everyone should fully comprehend the document that gained us our freedom. Do yourself and your country a favor and read it!