The Declaration of Independence is perhaps our nation's best-known piece of literature. Written by Thomas Jefferson, it actually (like most of the documents you and I write) went through many revisions, with input from the other Founding Fathers, often to the dismay of Jefferson, who took great pride in his wordsmithing.
The document laid the course for the birth of a new nation. It reflects the collective brilliance of all of our Founders, who thought long and deeply about what they were writing and its implications.
Try to imagine them working on the Declaration in today's environment. First, Jefferson would be expected to come to the meeting with his work in the form of a PowerPoint slide deck:
Slide 1: Purpose: Enumerate reasons for declaring our separation from England
Slide 2: Intro: A. dissolve the political bands. B. respect to the opinions of mankind. C. All men created equal.
Slide 3. Delineate tyranny of the Crown.
Final slide: Conclusion: Pledge = lives, fortunes, sacred honor.
Somehow it loses some of the flavor, but this is how things are done in 2010!
And while Jefferson is trying to discuss the future of our new nation, the other Founders are paying little attention; rather, they are distracted by their beeping and vibrating iPhones and Blackberries, checking their Facebook pages ("I forgot how much I love apple cider," gushes Ben Franklin on his wall); or fielding texts from their kids (Father, could I borrow the horse and carriage tonight? I am trying to woo the neighbor girl, and she is only impressed with a fellow with wheels!! Pleeeeeeeeease!!!!!). John Hancock is downloading Lady Gaga from I-tunes.
Jefferson, defeated, turns off the screen and leaves, and the Declaration dies in committee, and we remain under the thumb of the tyrant King George. But no one notices, as they are all Tweeting each other about LeBron James and where he may end up as the world's wealthiest free agent.
So on this Independence Day, lets' all be glad that the deep thinkers and philosophers who charted the course that put you and me here today did so in an environment where deep thinking was possible.
Steve Cebalt
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The document laid the course for the birth of a new nation. It reflects the collective brilliance of all of our Founders, who thought long and deeply about what they were writing and its implications.
Try to imagine them working on the Declaration in today's environment. First, Jefferson would be expected to come to the meeting with his work in the form of a PowerPoint slide deck:
Slide 1: Purpose: Enumerate reasons for declaring our separation from England
Slide 2: Intro: A. dissolve the political bands. B. respect to the opinions of mankind. C. All men created equal.
Slide 3. Delineate tyranny of the Crown.
Final slide: Conclusion: Pledge = lives, fortunes, sacred honor.
Somehow it loses some of the flavor, but this is how things are done in 2010!
And while Jefferson is trying to discuss the future of our new nation, the other Founders are paying little attention; rather, they are distracted by their beeping and vibrating iPhones and Blackberries, checking their Facebook pages ("I forgot how much I love apple cider," gushes Ben Franklin on his wall); or fielding texts from their kids (Father, could I borrow the horse and carriage tonight? I am trying to woo the neighbor girl, and she is only impressed with a fellow with wheels!! Pleeeeeeeeease!!!!!). John Hancock is downloading Lady Gaga from I-tunes.
Jefferson, defeated, turns off the screen and leaves, and the Declaration dies in committee, and we remain under the thumb of the tyrant King George. But no one notices, as they are all Tweeting each other about LeBron James and where he may end up as the world's wealthiest free agent.
So on this Independence Day, lets' all be glad that the deep thinkers and philosophers who charted the course that put you and me here today did so in an environment where deep thinking was possible.
Steve Cebalt
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