The "EveryBody" Insider
Communicating the Concerns of Black People

Thoughts on Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness
By Bahati Osayimwese


Two hundred twenty-seven years ago representatives of the colonies met to sign, The unanimous Declaration of Independence of the thirteen united States of America, better known as the Declaration of Independence.

The very famous document describes the momentous occasion which brought the body of learned and socially conscious men together. It draws attention to the urgency of the moment and the compelling driving force which rendered radical action necessary.

It declared that the higher pursuit of man is a God-given right which rises above any human aim to limit its attainment. It refers to that higher aim as a collection of "unalienable Rights". These are rights or freedoms which should not be denied to any man since they were "endowed by their Creator" which is God. The rights are called "unalienable" because they are not separable from man. Man cannot reach or enjoy the fullness of humanity without those God-given rights no more than man can make do without a God-given arm, leg, head, or set of lungs. One cannot permit those rights to be amputated from the social and political life of man.

The document states, "... that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". The rights or privileges or freedoms are capitalized to draw attention to their importance as though they were themselves the proper names of individuals or groups. 

Life is like the great breath which man receives from God at birth. Man does not part with that friend, Life, until he expires and his bones are laid to rest within the Earth's bosom. Life carries man along the road of destiny under God's direction. Man is inseparable from Life as long as the path of destiny is being traversed.

Liberty is the quality to fulfill one's destiny without bonds of perpetual servitude and injustice. Liberty is the friend of man which ensures that man's free will can be used to attain the heights of achievement consistent with man's God-given purpose. Liberty is a tool or key which enables or opens man's will to exercise itself on the backdrops of society and in all human endeavors in the universe.

The pursuit of Happiness is the chief aim of man's unencumbered heart. Happiness is the jewel and the name of the lady who captures the affections of man. It is the sweet juices of the ripe fruits which man strives to attain on his earthly journey. Happiness is the address of the road in the village in which man hopes to reside for ever and ever. Happiness is the name of the new nation which man seeks to establish, nourish, expand, and defend. Happiness is the nickname for the new country which is to be called "America".

Left out of the Declaration of Independence -
Life - all life is not created equal, Red and Black are less than White; Female is less than male; indentured or slave is less than free; illiterate and poor is less than learned and wealthy. The declaration was written for, by and about White English-heritaged males with learning, property, wealth, and courage to face the King of England. Slaves, women, Indians "not taxed" were NOT considered under the umbrella term "man" as it existed in the document.

Liberty - there is irony that Liberty applied to the framers who mentioned numerous grievances against the King of England, yet they omitted the cries for Liberty of many others in the colonies who - made the framers rich, cooked their meals, raised their children, built their nation, and mothered some of their children whom some of those "for..."fathers summarily disowned.

The pursuit of Happiness - this is the notion that individual satisfaction is a virtue worthy of attainment in absence of ANY consideration for obstacles or moderation. It ignores the limits to which pursuit of individual Happiness should be allowed to reign. Should one's Happiness necessitate another's misery? It ignores the suffering that is endured by the many to ensure the Happiness and wealth of the few. It focuses on the excesses of the King whose actions obstruct the pursuit of individual Happiness of the colonists. Yet it does not tend to establish a system to ensure collective Happiness for all humans living in the colonies. It speaks not of happiness of the "Indians", women, slaves, the indentured, or the poor. It speaks only of the happiness of the few. This is the happiness of the framers and those who are like them in status, learning, wealth, ancestral background, and power. They in essence strive to be their own kings over their own lives in order to ensure their own happiness while neglecting to commit to ensure happiness for others less wealthy or less powerful or less European or not male.

Summary

Life - the breath or spirit flowing through the lungs of White English-heritaged males with learning, wealth, power, and opposition to submission to the whims of a king which propels them on the "path of destiny" as permitted by God.

Liberty - the tool or key enabling the above to embark on a radical movement to found a new nation granting THEM the opportunity to exercise their will in a society which they control according to that same collective will unencumbered by the whims of a king.

Pursuit of Happiness - the self-centered aim of the above for attaining wealth, status, power, and pleasure in as well as dominion over the lands and peoples of and/or in the new nation called the United States of America. The definition of "pursuit of Happiness" in THEIR minds was/is a divine destiny.