Declaring Independence was the First Step to Creating a More Perfect Union

The words written in the Declaration of Independence have inspired generations of Americans as well as citizens of other countries. The story about the young upstart that was willing to fight for their freedoms, despite the odds before them, is inspiring to all people who have ever felt held down.  “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.”
 
While the declaration was written to declare their independence and rally together the 13 colonies, it wasn’t about forming a new nation. It was written, “That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States.” We have come to recognize this day as being synonymous with the founding or our nation, but in reality, it was the day we stood up and said we were no longer going to be ruled by a foreign power. It was pretty clear that we didn’t want to be ruled by a domestic power as well, since the Colonies viewed themselves as their own sovereign powers.
 
It wasn’t until 10+ years later that the Founding Fathers realized that independence, by itself, without a true purpose, wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. They recognized the limitations and challenges associated with being independent colonies and set about to create this incredible system of representative democracy. The preamble attempts to provide the “why” that is so critical to unite a people.
 
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
 
There are so many critical words within that sentence that each of them could be the subject of its own blog post. But what I enjoy most is the phrase “...in Order to form a more perfect Union…”. It shows that the Founding Fathers were aware of the flaws that resulted after winning their independence. It also shows the recognition that the new nation that they were founding with this Constitution, was not perfect. They showed a willingness to embrace Continuous Improvement and saw this Nation as a journey and not a destination. 
 
What a great reminder that it is not an end state that we are trying to achieve, but we are looking to be better than we were yesterday. They chose to work towards a MORE perfect or a better place than they were before. They were not arrogant enough to assume that they would create perfection. On this day, may everyone take a moment to realize that your commitment to work towards a “more perfect” today is the key to improving Beyond Today.

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