Our Declaration From Dependence
By Corey Thompson, filed in Corey Thompson, General on Jul.05, 2009
Last week, Charlotte Tea Party Organizer Matthew Ridenhour commissioned “The Thirsty Quill’s” Corey Thompson to write a list of modern day grievances on behalf of the Conservative movement. It was to be written in the same style and form as the original Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson.
On Saturday, Corey presented the document at the Tea Party (video footage will be available later this week). At the request of those in attendance, the script of that document/speech is being posted here, and at the official Charlotte Tea Party website (www.charlotteteaparty.org).
Our Declaration From Dependence
In unison, July 4, 2009…
The unanimous Declaration of everyday Americans, from all across this great land, who have chosen to celebrate this Independence Day by gathering in large cities and small towns, to say together, and with one voice:
When, in the course of current events, it has become necessary for concerned Americans to question the political bands which have connected them with their beloved nation, and to assume by the powers granted to them under their Constitution, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of this land, and the Laws of God entitle them, a decent respect to their opinions require that they should declare the reasons which have brought them together in this unified cause.
We, the people, 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…not only for ourselves, but for our families, our friends, and our posterity.
That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among democratically elected leaders, deriving their just powers from the consent of ‘We the People;’ and whenever any form of government, elected official, or political party becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of ‘We the People’ to question the leadership and the basis for their misguided actions, and to seek a new direction, and a new leadership through peaceful means and proper elections, building our foundation on such principles that were originally erected by our esteemed Forefathers in July of 1776.
Prudence and common sense, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed to please a small percentage of the population, or for immoral causes; and accordingly, as our history has shown, that our people are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
But when our leaders abuse their power, or stand in contradiction to our founding principles, or pursue political traction and immoral gain, it is OUR right, it is OUR duty, to question such government, and to provide new leaders for our future security through proper means.
Such has been the patient sufferance of the Conservative movement; and such is now the necessity which constrains us to speak together, in unison, and echo the sentiments expressed so beautifully by those who have come before us…names such as Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Paine, Revere, and Franklin.
The state of our present government is a recent history of repeated insults to our people, many of which violate our founding documents and are in contempt of those beliefs established and paid for by the blood of our ancestors. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid nation…
To our present leaders, regardless of party or affiliation, we implore you to examine these facts, just as we have done:
You have spent this nation into a state of financial ruin; you have wasted our most precious capital resources by functioning above your means; you have refused to use our own natural resources for environmental concerns, thus holding us hostage to foreign powers; you have indebted us to known enemies, enslaving us, and our posterity, to a future of financial dependency and debt. You have devalued our sacred lands, the assets we hold dear, and have, in effect, bankrupt our reserves and pushed our ‘Statue of Liberty’ to the brink of foreclosure.
You have sought to advance programs of dependency, thus rewarding irresponsibility, and punishing innovation and entrepreneurship; you have cloaked your actions behind a murky curtain you define as “transparency;” you have voted yourself a raise, while your constituents have lost everything; you have used our tax dollars to support your personal projects, your joy rides, and your ‘romantic evenings,’ while ‘We the People,’ have been forced to lower our standard of living.
You have sought to advance a Socialist agenda, you have wrecked true Capitalism, and you have foreclosed on “The American Dream;” you are seeking to fund an overhaul to free markets and competition by increasing taxation; you have provided bailouts to the masters of the financial markets, while allowing them to increase the pressure to ‘pay up’ on the average American family; you have taken over private businesses, ousted the leadership, and placed the burden on ordinary citizens to invest in broken corporations, not in their own personal dreams.
You have perverted the art of leadership, ignored the will of the people, and have treated our founding documents as outdated ‘optional instructions,’ rather than the coveted “supreme law” of our land.
You have weakened our borders, choosing instead to infringe upon the civil liberties of our true citizens, allowing your system of dependency to fester from an infection, to a terminal and irreversible calamity.
You have sought to disarm our people, thus treading upon a fundamental American right, all in the name of “protecting” our streets. Let it be known, that the best protection of America rests in the hands of her citizens, not in the ink pens of politicians.
You have weakened our national defense at home and abroad; you have, at times, labeled your own people as “the armed enemy,” while discussing the legality of holding suspected murderers and jihadists; you have chosen to apologize and to play ‘diplomacy’ with known killers, torturers, terrorists, and dictators who would just as soon see us die than to exchange a legitimate handshake of hope. In the process, you have softened our shell to the brink of exposure. However, let it be known that our confidence lies not in the coats and ties of legislative chambers, but rather, in the uniform of the American soldier.
You have sat idle while our national morality has fallen into a state of decay; you have robbed the rights of the unborn, while pardoning convicted criminals and labeling the death penalty as “inhumane.”
You have promoted legislation that is both deceptive and counterproductive to the longevity of our nation, and to our people; you have blinded us from the truth, convincing us to trust your judgment on the environment, and you have stolen our freedom to make sound decisions on our own in regard to our health, our investments, and our personal convictions.
In every stage of these questionable and misguided actions, ‘We the People’ have petitioned for your consideration in the most humble terms. Our repeated requests have been answered only by repeated foolhardy decisions, and at times, blatant disregard and neglect for the will of ‘We the People.’ An elected leader who consistently chooses to ignore the voices of his or her constituents is undeserving of the office with which they have been entrusted, and thus, is undeserving of our invaluable vote in the next election.
The same warnings should also be heeded by our Conservative brethren. We have warned them from time to time of the price they will pay for caving to political pressures. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our frustration, and of how they attained their respective position…through us, ‘We the People.’ We have appealed to their common sense and Conservative principles, and we have expected from them, by the ties of our common beliefs, that they would bear unflinchingly the proud banner of the Conservative cause. Yet sadly, too many of them have also been deaf to the voice of the people of this great land. We must, therefore, uncover the true nature of their political ideology, and hold them, if necessary, accountable just as we would those of the opposite mindset.
We, therefore, the Conservative voice of the United States of America, in unison, assembled at rallies all across this hallowed land, appealing to our elected officials, do, in the name, and by authority of ‘We the People,’ solemnly publish and declare, that these United States are, and of right ought to be grounded upon the beliefs established by our Founders, which were purchased by the blood of those who held high our sacred banner of ‘Stars and Stripes;’ and that as free and independent people, we shall not go quietly into the night, but rather, ‘We the People’ will continue, with an ever-growing chorus of sincere and determined voices, to speak out until you, our leaders, hear us, and our echoes become so loud that they shake you from the seat with which you have been entrusted. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on this nation, Under God, the protection of His Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our most sacred Honor.
Signed,




July 6th, 2009 on 9:57 am
Powerful stuff.
July 6th, 2009 on 12:22 pm
Well said Corey. The subsequent questions then:
How do we make unseating the beltway class possible without a viable new party? With the likely additional federal stimulus (Biden’s comments in the WSJ today) how many will be so dependent on redistribution by govenment debt that unseating elected officials will be unlikely if not impossible?
July 6th, 2009 on 12:26 pm
Two thoughts:
Is it possible to unseat the beltway class without a viable new party?
Should additional “stimulus” actually come to be (Biden as reported in the WSJ today) will there be too many on the take to ensure free elections?
July 6th, 2009 on 11:47 pm
Excellent job as always Corey. This document oozes with Patriotism, Nationalism, and Conservatism. I guess it wouldn’t seem right if it wasn’t also covered with that murky veil of fanaticism.
Obviously it is easy to fall in love with all the calls for liberty, empowerment, and responsibility. What true American would ever disagree with any of that? And while I whole heartedly appreciate your fears, of this administration’s “spending our Nation into ruin”, I must ask you exactly which “misguided actions”, “abuses of power”, or “immoral gains” have these “contradictors of our founding fathers” preformed? And how exactly did you quell such passion during the last administration’s “perversions of the act of leadership? Or is this just another example of tribal allegiance?
Are they ambitious? Sure. Are they;”Advancing programs of dependency”? I don’t believe so. Which briefing was it that President Obama used the “Murky curtain of transparency to reward irresponsibility? I would suggest that this transparency represents the beginning of a slowing of the irresponsibility that is very much to blame for the sluggish version of capitalism we find ourselves in today.
Is this, most shameful of all philosophies; “transparency” so hard to grasp that you suggest it has wrecked capitalism? Has it “punished the innovators, de-railed entrepreneurs? Has this administration’s “perversion of the act of leadership” really ignored the will of our Nation? I seem to remember our Nation speaking loud and clear last November.
In which speech or briefing did this administration label our people as “the armed enemy”? Or could it be that once again you are tying all of us to the extremist?
Once more my brother, I applaud the work. It is filled with many great Conservative principles. I just find that these latest trends in conservative principles of disingenuous conjecture, sound bite manipulation, and wreckless editing, are beneath the over all message that you are, for the most part, very eloquently promoting.
July 7th, 2009 on 9:21 am
Rodney: Thanks man!
Scott: I agree that there is a “cultivation” of dependency going on that will, in the long run, harvest more and more voters who are enslaved to casting their votes for liberal candidates for their survival and livelihood. As for the viable 3rd party, I’d be fine with the “rise” of something new, but I think America is far too entrenched in the “R” vs. “D” mentality…it’s frustrating, and disheartening.
Andy: Did you miss the point that this speech/document was aimed at ALL politicians, regardless of party? True, some of it IS aimed at the current administration, but I hope I made it clear that this “baggage” lies at the feet of ALL OF THEM.
July 7th, 2009 on 10:28 am
I’ll give you that one. I just wanted to get your red blood cells boiling. Have a great day buddy.
July 11th, 2009 on 7:06 am
Andy dear, I think that you completely missed the point:
You said, “Are they ambitious? Sure. Are they;”Advancing programs of dependency”? I don’t believe so.”
ME: Liberal policies that have no end have ruined large segments of our society: Social Security which was never meant to be used as the only pension for our retirees. Generations of families on welfare, food stamps, Medicaid. Yup, sounds like advancing programs of dependency to me! (Read the predictions of your liberal brother, Patrick Moynihan.)
You said,”Which briefing was it that President Obama used the “Murky curtain of transparency to reward irresponsibility? I would suggest that this transparency represents the beginning of a slowing of the irresponsibility that is very much to blame for the sluggish version of capitalism we find ourselves in today.”
Me: Were you not watching what happened in New Orleans during Katrina? I know that liberals conveniently blame W for that, but really, it was failed liberal policies that put them in that situation - instead of using their tax $$$ into strengthening their levies (= jobs)and educating their citizens (= jobs) so they don’t have to be caught waiting for their check. (Maxine Waters herself said that people didn’t leave NOLA because their $$$ was on the way - huh? Haven’t they heard of banks, ATM cards and having an emergency fund? Oh that’s right, evil capitalism/conservatism rearing its ugly head. Laissez les bon temps rouler!) And now this administration wants healthcare for all? I believe that is what Corey meant by “Murky curtain of transparency to reward irresponsibility”.
You said,”Sluggish version of capitalism”? “Tribal allegiance”?
Me: We conservatives hated a lot of W’s policies, his stand on illegal aliens, the Rx drug plan is entirely too costly, No Child Left Behind that has no teeth into bad teachers and schools, I could go on and on. (He was right about taking out Saddam and no federal funding for embyonic stem cells, though!) You need to undertand conservatives: WE QUESTION ALL OF IT!!! Harmful policies are harmful policies no matter what side of the aisle one sits!
Look, as a conservative I can appreciate the desire for helping those less fortunate than you and me, I really do, but having our society 60% socialist and 40% capitalist is a horrifying. This country wants capitalism,thrives on capitalism, whether you believe it or not. Iran and China want capitalism for pete’s sake!
God love you, son, but you need to think instead of just emoting! Please join us in really caring for our citzens!
January 15th, 2010 on 7:55 am
Andy, I have just met you and I’m impressed with your sincerity regarding your beliefs….I look forward to more conversations….
Regarding the current administration, I wonder, in hindsight, if there is anything you might change about your comments.
Yesterday the President said to the House Democratic caucus: “Let me tell you something…if the Republicans want to campaign against what we’ve done, standing up for the status quo and for insurance companies over American families and business….that is a fight I want to have.”
It seems to me that the President ( and many others)still do not get it…..what is happening in America today is not the Republicans campaigning against (or for) anything….it is the American people who are doing the campaigning against the status quo: the way Congress does business….it has to change and it has to change now!
To the President: “Let me(We The People) tell you something…if you want to continue doing to us what you have been doing, destroying our Nation before our very eyes, a Socialist agenda over American families and free enterprise…that is a fight we want to have.”
It is a fight we must have! God help us survive the attitude of entitlement created by arrogance of elitism.
January 15th, 2010 on 10:35 am
Thank you Mr. Wilson and may I say it was a pleasure speaking with you the other night. I found our conversations both sincere and educational.
To answer your first question, I am somewhat deflated by this administration thus far, and since I refuse to be blindly loyal and silent as so many did during the last 8 years, I will not hold my tounge.
I think Geithner has been a disaster, I think the democrats have earned their dubious titles of inept, wishy washy, and weak. Not on terror, or any of the catch phrases, but on what they had been sent there to do.
I split off with you a tick as it relates to the socialist agenda. I think that language is far too strong for what is being proposed. I mean, we can’t even get a public option to attempt to rival the private insurance markets so that middle class families can have a true alternative to what is currently provided, which is fine if you are employed, but virtually crippling if you are not. And before everyone starts casting stones on my bleeding heart, please consider the job market worste since post WWII.
So I ask you; shouldn’t we provide for our fellow citizens what most of the secular societies of the world provides for their citizens? If the fire department required you to pay a premium (other than taxes) for their services, how appropriate would it seem if we allowed the un-insured’s apartment , or house to burn to the ground because they did not pay to have the coverage. I view healthcare the same way.
If you read my last post; you will see that I feel there is a force, far more powerful than our political leaders, and more dubious than the terrorist. I fell that if we do not do something to get the power back from the bought and paid for elected officials; then I feel we will continue to see the quality of life that we have enjoyed in this nation continue to crumble as the true elites continue to benefit from the mis interpreted passion of all of our classes.