Dear {name},

I wish you a happy Fourth of July weekend!

I thought it would be good for all of us to take some time and reflect on the principles articulated so beautifully by Thomas Jefferson in the country's founding document. There are several important principles, but three stand out as the most significant:

Natural Rights - The Declaration of Independence establishes that all people possess inherent, unalienable rights including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." These rights aren't granted by government but exist naturally and cannot be legitimately taken away.

Consent of the Governed - Governments derive their authority from the consent of the people they govern, not from divine right or force. This principle establishes that legitimate political power flows upward from citizens rather than downward from rulers.

Right of Revolution - When governments fail to protect natural rights or become destructive of their proper ends, people have the right to alter or abolish them and institute new government. This isn't just permission but almost an obligation when facing tyranny.

These principles were revolutionary for their time and continue to influence democratic thought worldwide. They shifted political philosophy from monarchical rule by divine authority to popular sovereignty based on individual rights and democratic accountability.

Events of the past six months have taught us the revolution that was declared on July 4, 1776, is still ongoing. There is much that ails the country, and there are forces that have been hard at work for decades attempting to upend our pursuit of happiness and interfere with our right to govern ourselves as enshrined in the Constitution.

But be that as it may, for the next few days, try to put much of that aside in favor of time with friends, neighbors, and family. We will be back at it first thing Monday morning!

Onward,

Kevin Lynn

Executive Director, Institute for Sound Public Policy

Founder, U.S. Tech Workers