Today, we are talking about consent.

Specifically that all important element that keeps the government in check.

The Declaration of Independence was the formation document of the United States of America, but it was first and foremost a "Dear John" letter to the King George III. If you are too young to understand what a "Dear John" letter is, back in the day adults would not ghost you; instead they would write long drawn out narratives describing to you and the world everything you did wrong in the relationship. The element that made these farmers don their best wigs and robes was tax, specifically the Stamp Act.

The Stamp Act was enacted in 1765 by the King and forced only those living in the colonies to pay a tax on legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards. That's right my friends, King George III told the colonies that if they wanted to take part in legal discourse they would have to pay to play. The colonies were not unfamiliar with the pay to play style of rule; what made them pissed off was that the colonies did not have a voice in England giving consent to the new rule.

We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable self-evident; that all men are created equal & independent from that equal creation they derive in rights equal rights some of which are they are endowed by their creator with certain [inherent &] inalienable rights; that among which these are life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness;

Thomas Jefferson and the rest of those drafting the Declaration of Independence wanted to make it clear that they didn't care who died and made George "King," he was still just a man like everyone else. Because they were all the same, they all had a right to live freely and pursue their own definition of happiness... which meant they were keeping their hard earned money for themselves.

that to secure these ends rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed

In an attempt to maintain peace while everyone pursued happiness, governments are set up; however, governments only work when those they are governing consent to the rules they establish.

We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable self-evident; that all men are created equal & independent

Again... doesn't matter who died and made you king, you are a man like everyone else.

but when a long train of abuses & usurpations [begun at a distinguished period, &] pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to subject reduce them to arbitrary power under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government & to provide new guards for their future security.

This is where they begin to air the dirty laundry. Read this as "how dare you treat us like common folk. We know who made you, and we have been working towards the same thing. Now all of a sudden you want to act like we are less than you? You do not get to exercise absolute power, cruelty, or oppression, and the second you start down that road, we have an obligation to fire you and put someone else in the seat."

determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce: determining to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold: and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact

Here is where things get interesting. King George III was making boat loads of money buying and selling workers that were obtained through fighting wars. Slaves were seen as property won fairly through military conquest, and the Stamp Act was specifically used as a way to continue to pay for these wars.

Now we are going to fast-forward to 2025, we are nearing the 250th birthday of the United States of America, and guess what... we are still fighting against kings who want to buy and sell workers to fight for military conquest, and use taxes to continue to fund more wars for more workers. The loop continues as we play ring-around the rosies with pockets full of posies. The question is, "are we going to continue to consent to the rules of war or is there a way to break free from the loop?"

Personally, I know how to break it. The problem is I'm not sure if breaking it will fix it in the long run. Just something to think about I guess. More tomorrow... maybe diving into the buying and selling of souls... who knows?

XOXO, Sapiophielle