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It's Beautiful

Because I have born witness to the events of the past several weeks, and the violations of the Islamic Regime over many years, I found your Declaration of Independence to be quite beautiful. In fact, even more poetic and appropriate to the current situation in Iran than the Original written some 230 years ago, could ever be.

You made your alterations in just the right places. The end result is poetic and filled with truth.

Truths are universal, as they emanate from the creator. Truth is beautiful, wherever it is found.

Paris

"That's right," the man said. "I couldn't remember the word." He was the only t, then high school students, and, finally, to anyone aged 13 and over. The website currently has more than 175 million active users in amount of visitors, making Facebook the most popular social network, followed by MySpace and Twitter.other human at the loading dock this morning. The man didn't have a name, just a number, like the rest of the robots. Paris, at Night.

Shahre Hurt

Very nicely done!

And if anyone were to raise an objection to the use of the Declaration of Independence from 1776, it bears noting that imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery.

Betwee this and the Constitution we have two of the greatest documents in the history of the human race.

Shahre

I don't think ole Tom would object at all to your use of the Declaration of Independence. 

And to Confused... be proud of the liberal use of it!  Although I'm not sure at all that you were complaining.  Freedom is an idea which belongs to ALL man.  I don't think the word placement and configuration is of much concern... rather the principal involved.  And if we bumbling Americans have done something right... I say... RIGHT ON BROTHER!

Declaration of Independence

Dear confused American, I am an American myself; an Iranian American that was born and raised in Iran, and became an American by choice and not by birth. There is a big difference there. So belive you me that I am aware of both the differences and similarities of the two situations. Also believe me when I say that IRAN IS UNDER OCCUPATION. You seem to have good knowledge of the issues so I recommend you analyse the actions/reactions of the regime and tell me if you see any indication therein of a system that is ruling over its own people!? You will see why Iranians tend to refer to this regime as "anha" meaning "them"....

Declaration of Independence

Dear all, I had simply made some changes to the American Declaration of Independence of 1776. I hope Mr. Thomas Jefferson doesn’t mind my plagiarizing his text! I have a feeling he won’t.  as I was reading it this 4th of July, I couldn’t believe the eerie similarities of the plight of Americans then and the predicament of us Iranians today. I posted this document with the hope that people realize this similarity and what other fellow human beings did to relieve themselves of such tyranny. I wish I had the time to translate it to Parsi. I know it is long, but it is also critically important.

George Washington

Sir,

I was refering to the paragraph I inserted in my post.

Sorry about lack of clarity and misunderstanding.

Bijan, which part you asked? The whole thing!

See for yourself and compare. Here's the original from 1776:

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. 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. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Which part of...

This, is specific to circumstance or country or culture or history or….?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by creation with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

Isn’t this in reality what our youth are risking their lives for? So what if it is spelled out in the US declaration of Independence?. I bet you if you dig enough in our pre-Islamic history you will find the same spirit of truths expressed in a different language and in  different passages.  

Thank you Share-Hurt for your creative mind and your courage. Keep the movement alive…

I DO understand

Shahre,

I have no problem with your use of the same words that are in the American Declaration of Independence, as the parts that you have chosen to use most certainly apply to all freedom-loving people everywhere. I also understand the urgency of the current situation, and I applaud your bravery.

I am also certain that in time, a document can and will be drafted that will more specifically address the rights, concerns, and freedoms of the Iranian people. You have made a start, instead of waiting around for someone else to do it, and that counts for a great deal.

Until that day....

I will continue to pray for your safety and freedom.

I don't understand...

why you copied the American Declaration of Independence that was written by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. You made a few changes here and there, but basically you've copied it word for word. What gives?

I have the utmost respect for the brave people of Iran who are now struggling against government that wishes to oppress them, but the struggle of present day Iranians bears little resemblance to the struggle of the American colonists against King George III of Great Britain. Furthermore, don't you think that any Iranian Declaration would be more relevant to Iranians if it were written by Iranians. Don't get me wrong, if you want to use our Declaration of Independence in your struggle no one will get upset, but really the violations committed by the Iranian government against its people for the past thirty years and the violations of the British King against the American colonists two and a quarter centuries ago are not similar.