AMERICA, AMERICANS, OTHERS AND INDEPENDENCE

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The independence of an individual or a nation is greatly cherished and celebrated. America and Americans celebrate and cherish July 4 with all their hearts. This day 1776 stands as the day and year in which America got independent of the obnoxious and cagey claws of the British under the rule of King George III of Britain. The declaration of the independence of America started out as a revolution by visionary and insightful men who were provoked by the colonial misbehavior of the British King who had the belief that powers over all belonged to him. They were tired of their rights, liberty and independence being thrown into the dustbin of history and this prompted revolutionary wars against the British in April 1775.

The revolution against the British government is said to be as a result of the British's continuous imposition of heavy tax on the colonies and this resulted in an eruption by the populace.

It is on the fourth of July, 1776 that the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence of the American colonies. It is contained in a formal document that spells out the grounds upon which the 13 original colonies wanted to leave the British Empire and declared themselves a new nation.

The Continental Congress came to an agreement on July 2 to separate from Great Britain. The Declaration of the Independence of America was however drafted by a committee that included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. It was this draft that was adopted in the declaration of independence.

I am not American by birth or citizenship, but I am very well honoured and happy to be given a chance to celebrate and write about the independence of America. Independence for America for me goes just beyond the people of America. It reaches out to the world at large. We do not talk about undefined freedom and liberty in a state or of its constituent members without really having an understanding of what freedom really is to those who possess it the liberal way, as opposed to a communitarian enclosed shell.

Great men and scholars alike have argued that every man realizes his full potentials within an established community. While this may be true, can any man realize his potentials within any such community if he is limited in actions, deeds, words to speak and many more? It would be pertinent to state that man’s realization of his potential would only be when he or she is free to express him or herself within such community. This is when man would be able to realize his potentials.

Aristotle says that man is heading towards an authoritative good. The highest good towards which man is headed is happiness and virtue. Man achieves this happiness within the community where he participates in active politics. The purpose of the community then is to see that man achieves such good. No man can be self sufficient outside of the community as the community is pertinent to his growth and development.

"He who is without a city through nature rather than chance is either a mean sort or superior to man," Aristotle says (1253a3), and adds "One who is incapable of participating or who is in need of nothing through being self sufficient is no part of a city, and so is either a beast or a god" (1253a27). Humans are not capable of becoming gods, but they are capable of becoming beasts, and in fact the worst kind of beasts: "For just as man is the best of the animals when completed, when separated from law and adjudication he is the worst of all" (1253a30).
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What deductions would be made here would be quite simple and to the point of my understanding of issues. Our freedom should no no bounds and I am of the opinion that this can be achieved through liberal constructions from individual minds within the society. While it may be accepted that man's potentials are achieved within an existing society or structure, it is not the same for man's freedom. When the society upon which humans find themselves makes impositions such members cannot move forward.

All men ought to be given freely the possession of the choice of what to do and how to behave within the society making use of such free choice. When all have a choice to make in situations within the society, it truly is on its way to true freedom and liberty. Where it is the case that someone's freedom tramples upon that of all others, such freewill that is made use of is tyrannical and should not be condoned.

America's celebration of freedom is an example that portrays to the world liberty in its full glare.