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That such a protracted war [the American War of Independence ] raged on, producing a multitude of casualties, was due to the oppression of vicious autocratic rule—an unprecedented event in the annals of history. As a rule, such oppression could not but cause uprisings among the people or within the military. These uprisings were temporary disturbances that attempted, in sudden flashes of anger, to retaliate or avenge for humiliation. A few fair-minded persons of influence might have been able to persuade, suppress, or otherwise pacify such an uprising without, however, eradicating the root cause of the problem. The American war [of Independence] was for the purpose of repelling such oppression; they sacrificed lives to end the brutality by others and to be on their own. Their intention was not to allow oppression ever again and to correct the fundamental causes of political abuse. They realized that concentration of the nation’s power in a few hands was dangerous . They arranged, therefore, the political system as described above so that it was under the collective control of all the people. A person’s well-being was in one’s own hands, and no one else was to be asked for help or to be blamed. People knew that the nation’s fortune depended on them, that they had to manage their own affairs well to prevent others ’ intervention before the nation could be governed well. They valued the right to freedom more than their life; they nurtured the respect for this right within themselves and considered it to be the most precious inheritance from their forebears. It was only 130 years ago that this foundation was first established. Later generations not only preserved this right but also expanded its meaning constantly to make it more refined. They named their capital 98 18. The Declaration of American Independence Washington to commemorate their ancestors’ [fight for] independence because Washington was the name of the first president, who was foremost in the struggle for independence; he initiated the worldwide movement for political reform, and he is respected in all countries. The Fourth of July by the solar calendar is the day when American independence was proclaimed. This is the most important day of celebration . Every year, on this date, the officials and the people across the country suspend all business, hoist the national flag, hang the lanterns, and the whole country celebrates. They visit the tombs of the generals and soldiers who died in wars, compose words of praise, lay flowers, shout “mansei!” [lit. ten-thousand years], rejoice with enthusiasm, and shed tears of appreciation shamelessly. Even in the cases of one or two people in foreign countries, they hold the ceremonies to commemorate the independence holiday. In our country too, in the neighborhood where Americans live, one can see or learn about [the celebration]. The way these foreigners celebrate shall move anyone with a modicum of patriotism to tears. The American Declaration of Independence is recorded below; it is a statement to proclaim to the world the reasons for rejecting Britain and becoming independent [that was adopted] at a meeting of the states within the United States of America on the fourth of July, 1776. The peoples of the world today take it to heart and recite it because they want to cultivate their passion for the independence of their countries by emulating the patriotism of American independence. People of Korea, we have to reflect [on this]. The declaration reads: Any people in the world when they want to rid themselves of oppression by others, gain an equal status that God has granted them, and become independent as are other powers owe it to human decency to declare to the world the reasons why they have no other alternative except separation.17 It is an immutable truth that the people of the world are all born equal. The Creator has granted to everyone the same rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that no one should take away. To secure these rights, states and governments have been established. Government is created, therefore, by combining the powers that are jointly held by the people. When the system of government is harmful to the original purpose of protecting everyone’s rights, the people ought to change or abolish it, and create a new government. It is the moral right of the people in this process to ensure that [the change] is most compatible with their wishes and...

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