“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.” -The Declaration of Independence
As Americans, we have all likely read, heard and spoken that phrase at some time in our lives. It is the foundation of our very way of life, yet most of us rarely think about the meaning of these words on a daily basis. The ideas imbedded within this single sentence seem simple and commonplace to us now, but it is important to remember the impact these words had on the world at the time they were written, as well as the impact they continue to have on the world today. This sentence all in one encompasses the ideas embedded in the American way of life. The “American Dream” rolled up in a defining, powerful phrase. It is a phrase built on the idea of three foundational rights for all. Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. It is the fight for these rights that sparked a colony to action in 1776, and it is a fight for these rights today that sits at the center of much of our country’s internal and external conflicts.
“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”, as it is written in the final draft of the Declaration of Independence that was voted on unanimously by each of the 13 colonies. For how important this phrase is in American history, and how fundamental it is to our daily life, there is one word in the phrase that needs a little more emphasis. That undernoted, and underappreciated word is “pursuit”. Maybe it was fate that this key word would be forgotten. Not receiving the capitalization treatment of the other key words in the phrase: Life, Liberty and Happiness. It wasn’t always this way, however. In the original draft of the document, written in the handwriting of John Adams, the phrase is written “Life, and Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. The draft received by Congress, written by Thomas Jefferson, stated “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. It is in the final ratified draft that the three words are capitalized, and left behind with words like “and”, “the”, and “of”, is poor “pursuit”.
We all have rights. We have rights outlined in the US Constitution’s Bill of Rights that are in place to protect us as American citizens from the overreaching power of the US Government. Before we had those rights, we had the inalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. These rights grant American citizens the freedom to build the life they want to live. To strive to be great and chase the American Dream of success, however the individual defines it. One of the largest mindset problems facing modern America is the view of Happiness itself as a right. The founding fathers, despite the way they chose to capitalize the words, never promised Happiness. As a nation we need to consciously re-capitalize the word Pursuit and accept that it is the individual’s job to Pursue Happiness. I think that today many expect Happiness, when in 1776 the founding Americans were fighting for the right to Pursue it. Millions of Americans think that it is the job of their family, friends, neighbors, and government to give them Happiness. They feel entitled to it. We have disregarded the fact that the goal of the US Government should be to uphold our rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, and instead view the government as an entity to distribute Happiness. It is nobody else’s job to make you Happy, rather your job to Pursue Happiness. Still, many call for more from their government, who in turn calls for more from your family, friends and neighbors. We act like we vote for a noble reason. We want to be part of electing someone who makes a difference and fixes all of our perceived problems. What we really do is vote for the person who will make the country into the closest version of the way we want it. What we end up with is a mixed batch of rules and regulations that limit the Pursuit of Happiness for people on all ends of the political spectrum. People need to stop expecting Happiness from the empty promises of career politicians and wake up to the fact that the only way to Happiness is through Liberty. People with the freedom to make their own choices and live with their own consequences are people who can experience the true Pursuit of Happiness. If everyone realized that Happiness can be directly related to the life they live, and not the way others live, then we would be well on our Pursuit.
* Brice Gretch is a 26 year old history major who is currently a special education teacher and high school wrestlingcoach living in Iowa City, Iowa.
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