I'm in that "in between" phase of the course -- mid-way through. This started week 5 (of the 8 week course). My major paper is drafted. I've calculated that it takes me about an hour per page for a final product, i.e., a 20 page paper requires about 20 hours investment in researching and writing. That's in addition to the weekly forums (message boards) that must be researched and responded to as well.
All in all, no complaints whatsoever. I'm learning new "stuff" and enjoying the camaraderie and support amongst my classmates.
So....life is good....albeit a bit boring.
Next task for this course -- develop a Powerpoint presentation to accompany the paper.
(1147 hits on this page as of today)
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Professor wisdom
There's been a bit of an issue with timeliness of posting on the online forums by some of those in the class. The professor clarified expectations today via the discussion board. She also said the following -- which stuck with me for some reason --
"as an undergrad....you learned about the dots. When you get your Masters, you learn to connect the dots, when you get your terminal degree (your Doctorate), you should be creating new dots for those who read your work"
I like that. But one thing I'm stuck on is......why is it called a "terminal" degree? That brings up all kinds of negative connotations for me. Does "terminal" represent "nearly dead" by the time the degree is attained?
"as an undergrad....you learned about the dots. When you get your Masters, you learn to connect the dots, when you get your terminal degree (your Doctorate), you should be creating new dots for those who read your work"
I like that. But one thing I'm stuck on is......why is it called a "terminal" degree? That brings up all kinds of negative connotations for me. Does "terminal" represent "nearly dead" by the time the degree is attained?
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Today's affirmation -- because I need it
The hidden treasure is in an earthen vessel, which is you -- which is me. You (I) have everything you (I) need inside you already.Yup, everything!
Where have I been lately? Writing. The discussion boards for the course I'm in takes about 5 to 6 hours a week -- sometimes more, sometimes less.
I've also been working on the major paper for this course (Business Intelligence). The assignment is to create a business intelligence strategy for a unique topic relevant to my work setting. The topic I chose is Surgical Site Infections.
(1112 hits as of today)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Excerpts from my first paper
Position Statement
Children and adolescents deserve to live free from harassment and antagonism due to their sexual orientation. A group of concerned citizens (hereafter referred to as “steering committee”) in the Hickory metropolitan area are exploring the opportunity to create a positive social support network for the area’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (hereafter referred to as “LGBT”) youth. The steering committee’s vision is to build a social support structure for LGBT youth with a twofold purpose. First, implement a safe social outlet offering self-esteem, physical care, and self-awareness education. Second, offer intervention services such as a crisis hotline and temporary safe housing for at-risk LGBT youth.
Unfortunately, the support and service needs of LGBT youth are unique and are not being addressed by traditional local youth organizations. These youth present a convenient target for discrimination in many venues including schools, malls, churches, and other social arenas (The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, 2001). In 1995, Advocates for Youth reported that over 50% of organizations serving youth in the nation at that time believed they did not have the needed services or resources to educate or support LGBT youth. Sadly, not much has changed over the ensuing fifteen years, especially in average sized cities in the US.
Rationale
Research indicates that today’s LGBT youth are more visible within our school systems and communities. For example, in a typical class of 30 students, eight (27% of the class) will be directly affected by homosexuality of self, one or more siblings, or one or both parents (Campos, 1996). As societal attitudes toward homosexuality have moderated, more and more youth are revealing their sexual orientation at younger ages. A majority of students in a Harris Interactive survey (2005) admitted knowing gay, lesbian or bisexual students, and slightly more than one-third of teachers acknowledged knowing a student with same-sex orientation. LGBT students face the same issues all young people do regarding self-awareness, identity, emerging sexuality and relationships (Dube, 1999). Social awareness of LGBT individuals comes from various media sources and changing social mores that are, to some extent, positive and affirming. But, today’s youth are often ostracized because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation. Without traditional family, religious or educational organizations to provide appropriate and sympathetic peer groups, LGBT youth end up feeling isolated and alone. With the growing acknowledgement that LGBT youth exist, however, is the concurrent requirement that their needs be met with resources similar in scope to those allocated to support other youth groups in their communities.
Traditional support networks, such as family, peers, and religious groups, are often unavailable to LGBT youth. The networks that normally provide a sense of community and a level of social support to children and adolescents instead reject and alienate LGBT youth because of their sexual orientation. Remafedi (1987) reported that 50% of gay and lesbian youth indicate that their parents reject them due to their sexual orientation. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study (1989) reported that 26% of gay and lesbian youth are forced to leave home because of conflicts over their sexual orientation.
When facing these crisis situations, LGBT youth need access to emergency housing. Numerous youth who express to their parents that they are gay or are questioning their sexual orientation are ordered immediately out of their homes. In fact, approximately 40% of homeless youth across the nation identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual (D’Augelli, 2002). These crisis situations are not unlike the discrimination experienced by unwed mothers prior to the 1970’s, but with a main difference -- the condition does not self-terminate after nine months.
The need for emergency housing is compounded by the fact that without a peer group, or as a member of a sexual minority, other sources of potential housing may not be available to LGBT youth. These children can easily find themselves homeless, on the streets, and subject to predators from any number of fronts.
The lack of a minimal educational foundation affects not only self esteem, but also any individual’s ability to self-support and become an employable, contributing member of society in the future. Nationally, approximately 28% of gay and lesbian youth drop out of high school because of discomfort (due to verbal and physical abuse) in the school environment (Remafedi, 1987). Discrimination aimed at LGBT students is the key. A 2003 national study of LGBT students found that almost 80% of the student respondents reported hearing remarks such as “faggot” or “dyke” frequently or often at school. Similar studies have shown that on average an LGBT high school student hears anti-gay slurs as often as 26 times each day, whereas faculty intervention occurs in only about three percent of the cases (Harris Interactive Survey, 2005 & 2007). D’Augelli (2002) reported that on average, 27% of gay and lesbian youth have been physically hurt by another student. Lambda Legal (2010) reports that gay youth are almost five times more likely than non-gay students to skip school because they feel unsafe which contributes to a drop-out rate of approximately one-third of LBGT students.
The social cost of inadequate support for LGBT youth is reflected through substantially increased numbers of incidents of suicide and depression. Gay and lesbian youth are two to six times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youth. Sadly, over 30% of all reported teen suicides each year are committed by gay and lesbian youth (Savin-Williams, 2002). Obviously, the impact on family, friends and society overall must not be overlooked either. The steering committee believes that providing a support group that will address many of the issues faced by LGBT youth in the Hickory metropolitan area has the potential to help identify and direct those with issues of depression and suicidal ideations toward appropriate help.
Local Impact
Conservatively, it is estimated between five to ten percent of American students are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, 2001). In Catawba County, North Carolina, this translates to between 1360 to 2721 youth who are likely facing LGBT-related issues in our local community. The stigma, bullying, and violence aimed at our LGBT youth is resulting in physical and mental harm to our children and the trend is growing. Even our local physicians are reporting an increase in the number of gay and lesbian adolescents seeking treatment in their practices.
In one instance, a 14-year-old male sought treatment after having been physically assaulted at school when he revealed his sexual orientation to a lifelong friend. The boy was so badly beaten that the doctor, who had treated him since birth, did not recognize him.
A second individual, a 17-year-old male, confided to his physician that he had engaged in sexual activity with over 60 individuals of all ages since receiving his driver’s license a year earlier at age 16. The young man was not only being treated for a sexually transmitted disease but was also threatening suicide.
Another 17-year-old boy experienced legal problems -- another risk LBGT youth may face. The young man met and dated another boy who indicated that he was 15 years old when he was, in fact 12. The date eventually led to a physical relationship after which the younger boy experienced regret and reported the matter to police. A detective came to the school, questioned the older boy without his parents or an attorney present, coerced him into giving a written statement, and arrested him on the charge of rape. He was given court appointed counsel who was not sympathetic and sought to pressure him to enter a plea of guilty to the lesser charge of sodomy, which carried a penalty of five years probation and listing on the sex offender registry for a period of 10 years thereafter.
After seeing this increase in LGBT youth in his practice seeking treatment, our local physician recruited a group of community leaders to assess the opportunity to develop a socially positive support venue for LGBT youth in our community. After forming a steering committee, the group of community leaders assessed the magnitude and relevance of local LGBT youth-related issues. This assessment indicates that our youth are, in fact, without appropriate resources and that there is a lack of traditional social guardians in families, churches, or schools to help these young men, women and transgendered individuals. In addition, there are no support services available for LGBT youth. The creation of a social support structure to allow them to meet and interact, while at the same time obtain mentoring and support from understanding and competent adults will help address many of these issues and direct them toward more positive self development.
Intervention
Many larger US cities have formed effective LGBT focused social support networks. The local steering committee met with representatives from both Charlotte and Greensboro to understand the methods they are employing to meet the needs of LGBT youth in their communities. The representatives confirmed that problems experienced by LGBT youth are somewhat universal in both urban and rural environments. The primary difference in implementing the peer support group concept appears to be availability of resources, not interest or identification of the need to offer services. Obviously, larger metropolitan areas have more resources available than smaller cities and towns.
Creation of a positive social support structure for LGBT adolescents by supportive adults to help guide the process will fill this void in our community. For those in need, the availability of a peer group guided by supportive and qualified adults will allow the dissemination of educational information and direction to appropriate resources without the fear of retribution. Short term housing, medical or other care can be given when necessary in order to minimize adverse effects and reduce costs to the system by addressing situations before they become overwhelming.
Benefit
Society as a whole incurs substantial expense because of the failure to support and mentor LGBT youth. Costs associated with drug addiction and suicide rates of LGBT youth significantly exceed that of the population as a whole (D’Augelli, 2002). The healthcare costs of physical abuse, failed suicide attempts, depression, substance abuse, and other afflictions can, to some extent, be addressed and avoided through the use of affirming peer groups, especially in rural areas where other LGBT resources are not readily available. A group such as ours can provide a positive social structure for at-risk LGBT adolescents.
Costs associated with the failure to provide services to LGBT youth are significant. Recognizing that education is essential in changing attitudes, positive role models afforded through affirming peer organizations will help not only local youth, but non-LGBT individuals at risk of exposing themselves and/or their employers to liability through either intentional or unintentional acts.
Conclusion
The needs of LGBT youth continue to grow. As this minority becomes more visible due to changing social perceptions, it is important that their needs be met as appropriately as the needs of other youth groups. The absence of traditional support mechanisms such as family, church, and school makes it even more important that alternate structures be created to provide not only peer counseling, but mentoring from appropriately qualified adults.
As the support structure becomes available, the ability to self-counsel and otherwise form relationships will work to the benefit of our youth, thus increasing their self-confidence and providing increased educational information to allow them both the resources and courage to make decisions that are better informed and better serve their self interests. In the long run, this will reduce costs to society associated with the statistically higher levels of depression, suicide attempts, substance abuse, physical violence and sexually transmitted disease that such youth currently experience.
1047 Hits as of today
Children and adolescents deserve to live free from harassment and antagonism due to their sexual orientation. A group of concerned citizens (hereafter referred to as “steering committee”) in the Hickory metropolitan area are exploring the opportunity to create a positive social support network for the area’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (hereafter referred to as “LGBT”) youth. The steering committee’s vision is to build a social support structure for LGBT youth with a twofold purpose. First, implement a safe social outlet offering self-esteem, physical care, and self-awareness education. Second, offer intervention services such as a crisis hotline and temporary safe housing for at-risk LGBT youth.
Unfortunately, the support and service needs of LGBT youth are unique and are not being addressed by traditional local youth organizations. These youth present a convenient target for discrimination in many venues including schools, malls, churches, and other social arenas (The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, 2001). In 1995, Advocates for Youth reported that over 50% of organizations serving youth in the nation at that time believed they did not have the needed services or resources to educate or support LGBT youth. Sadly, not much has changed over the ensuing fifteen years, especially in average sized cities in the US.
Rationale
Research indicates that today’s LGBT youth are more visible within our school systems and communities. For example, in a typical class of 30 students, eight (27% of the class) will be directly affected by homosexuality of self, one or more siblings, or one or both parents (Campos, 1996). As societal attitudes toward homosexuality have moderated, more and more youth are revealing their sexual orientation at younger ages. A majority of students in a Harris Interactive survey (2005) admitted knowing gay, lesbian or bisexual students, and slightly more than one-third of teachers acknowledged knowing a student with same-sex orientation. LGBT students face the same issues all young people do regarding self-awareness, identity, emerging sexuality and relationships (Dube, 1999). Social awareness of LGBT individuals comes from various media sources and changing social mores that are, to some extent, positive and affirming. But, today’s youth are often ostracized because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation. Without traditional family, religious or educational organizations to provide appropriate and sympathetic peer groups, LGBT youth end up feeling isolated and alone. With the growing acknowledgement that LGBT youth exist, however, is the concurrent requirement that their needs be met with resources similar in scope to those allocated to support other youth groups in their communities.
Traditional support networks, such as family, peers, and religious groups, are often unavailable to LGBT youth. The networks that normally provide a sense of community and a level of social support to children and adolescents instead reject and alienate LGBT youth because of their sexual orientation. Remafedi (1987) reported that 50% of gay and lesbian youth indicate that their parents reject them due to their sexual orientation. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study (1989) reported that 26% of gay and lesbian youth are forced to leave home because of conflicts over their sexual orientation.
When facing these crisis situations, LGBT youth need access to emergency housing. Numerous youth who express to their parents that they are gay or are questioning their sexual orientation are ordered immediately out of their homes. In fact, approximately 40% of homeless youth across the nation identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual (D’Augelli, 2002). These crisis situations are not unlike the discrimination experienced by unwed mothers prior to the 1970’s, but with a main difference -- the condition does not self-terminate after nine months.
The need for emergency housing is compounded by the fact that without a peer group, or as a member of a sexual minority, other sources of potential housing may not be available to LGBT youth. These children can easily find themselves homeless, on the streets, and subject to predators from any number of fronts.
The lack of a minimal educational foundation affects not only self esteem, but also any individual’s ability to self-support and become an employable, contributing member of society in the future. Nationally, approximately 28% of gay and lesbian youth drop out of high school because of discomfort (due to verbal and physical abuse) in the school environment (Remafedi, 1987). Discrimination aimed at LGBT students is the key. A 2003 national study of LGBT students found that almost 80% of the student respondents reported hearing remarks such as “faggot” or “dyke” frequently or often at school. Similar studies have shown that on average an LGBT high school student hears anti-gay slurs as often as 26 times each day, whereas faculty intervention occurs in only about three percent of the cases (Harris Interactive Survey, 2005 & 2007). D’Augelli (2002) reported that on average, 27% of gay and lesbian youth have been physically hurt by another student. Lambda Legal (2010) reports that gay youth are almost five times more likely than non-gay students to skip school because they feel unsafe which contributes to a drop-out rate of approximately one-third of LBGT students.
The social cost of inadequate support for LGBT youth is reflected through substantially increased numbers of incidents of suicide and depression. Gay and lesbian youth are two to six times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youth. Sadly, over 30% of all reported teen suicides each year are committed by gay and lesbian youth (Savin-Williams, 2002). Obviously, the impact on family, friends and society overall must not be overlooked either. The steering committee believes that providing a support group that will address many of the issues faced by LGBT youth in the Hickory metropolitan area has the potential to help identify and direct those with issues of depression and suicidal ideations toward appropriate help.
Local Impact
Conservatively, it is estimated between five to ten percent of American students are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, 2001). In Catawba County, North Carolina, this translates to between 1360 to 2721 youth who are likely facing LGBT-related issues in our local community. The stigma, bullying, and violence aimed at our LGBT youth is resulting in physical and mental harm to our children and the trend is growing. Even our local physicians are reporting an increase in the number of gay and lesbian adolescents seeking treatment in their practices.
In one instance, a 14-year-old male sought treatment after having been physically assaulted at school when he revealed his sexual orientation to a lifelong friend. The boy was so badly beaten that the doctor, who had treated him since birth, did not recognize him.
A second individual, a 17-year-old male, confided to his physician that he had engaged in sexual activity with over 60 individuals of all ages since receiving his driver’s license a year earlier at age 16. The young man was not only being treated for a sexually transmitted disease but was also threatening suicide.
Another 17-year-old boy experienced legal problems -- another risk LBGT youth may face. The young man met and dated another boy who indicated that he was 15 years old when he was, in fact 12. The date eventually led to a physical relationship after which the younger boy experienced regret and reported the matter to police. A detective came to the school, questioned the older boy without his parents or an attorney present, coerced him into giving a written statement, and arrested him on the charge of rape. He was given court appointed counsel who was not sympathetic and sought to pressure him to enter a plea of guilty to the lesser charge of sodomy, which carried a penalty of five years probation and listing on the sex offender registry for a period of 10 years thereafter.
After seeing this increase in LGBT youth in his practice seeking treatment, our local physician recruited a group of community leaders to assess the opportunity to develop a socially positive support venue for LGBT youth in our community. After forming a steering committee, the group of community leaders assessed the magnitude and relevance of local LGBT youth-related issues. This assessment indicates that our youth are, in fact, without appropriate resources and that there is a lack of traditional social guardians in families, churches, or schools to help these young men, women and transgendered individuals. In addition, there are no support services available for LGBT youth. The creation of a social support structure to allow them to meet and interact, while at the same time obtain mentoring and support from understanding and competent adults will help address many of these issues and direct them toward more positive self development.
Intervention
Many larger US cities have formed effective LGBT focused social support networks. The local steering committee met with representatives from both Charlotte and Greensboro to understand the methods they are employing to meet the needs of LGBT youth in their communities. The representatives confirmed that problems experienced by LGBT youth are somewhat universal in both urban and rural environments. The primary difference in implementing the peer support group concept appears to be availability of resources, not interest or identification of the need to offer services. Obviously, larger metropolitan areas have more resources available than smaller cities and towns.
Creation of a positive social support structure for LGBT adolescents by supportive adults to help guide the process will fill this void in our community. For those in need, the availability of a peer group guided by supportive and qualified adults will allow the dissemination of educational information and direction to appropriate resources without the fear of retribution. Short term housing, medical or other care can be given when necessary in order to minimize adverse effects and reduce costs to the system by addressing situations before they become overwhelming.
Benefit
Society as a whole incurs substantial expense because of the failure to support and mentor LGBT youth. Costs associated with drug addiction and suicide rates of LGBT youth significantly exceed that of the population as a whole (D’Augelli, 2002). The healthcare costs of physical abuse, failed suicide attempts, depression, substance abuse, and other afflictions can, to some extent, be addressed and avoided through the use of affirming peer groups, especially in rural areas where other LGBT resources are not readily available. A group such as ours can provide a positive social structure for at-risk LGBT adolescents.
Costs associated with the failure to provide services to LGBT youth are significant. Recognizing that education is essential in changing attitudes, positive role models afforded through affirming peer organizations will help not only local youth, but non-LGBT individuals at risk of exposing themselves and/or their employers to liability through either intentional or unintentional acts.
Conclusion
The needs of LGBT youth continue to grow. As this minority becomes more visible due to changing social perceptions, it is important that their needs be met as appropriately as the needs of other youth groups. The absence of traditional support mechanisms such as family, church, and school makes it even more important that alternate structures be created to provide not only peer counseling, but mentoring from appropriately qualified adults.
As the support structure becomes available, the ability to self-counsel and otherwise form relationships will work to the benefit of our youth, thus increasing their self-confidence and providing increased educational information to allow them both the resources and courage to make decisions that are better informed and better serve their self interests. In the long run, this will reduce costs to society associated with the statistically higher levels of depression, suicide attempts, substance abuse, physical violence and sexually transmitted disease that such youth currently experience.
1047 Hits as of today
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Yeah
The first official paper was submitted today. It was the paper for my "policy" class. The assignment was to take a "position" on some sort of policy related issue. I chose the topic of the need to create a social support network for LGBT youth. Will post some of what I wrote about if I can figure out how to copy/paste into this format.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Declaration of Independence -- Worth Reading Again
The version of the Declaration of Independence above (photo) and below (narrative), has two signatures, but the original had those of all the delegates assembled. By signing this document, "people were putting their lives and property at risk -- their own and their families -- setting a firm and clear example of the responsibilities of political freedom and public discourse."
In Congress, July 4, 1776.
A Declaration
By the Representatives of the
United states of America,
In general Congress assembled.
When in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.
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—-That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security. Such has been the patient Sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The History of the Present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public Good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing Importance, unless suspended in their Operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the Accommodation of large Districts of People; unless those People would relinquish the Right of Representation in the Legislature, a Right inestimable to them, and formidable to Tyrants only.
He has called together Legislative Bodies at Places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the Depository of their public Records, for the sole Purpose of fatiguing them into Compliance with his Measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly Firmness his Invasions on the Rights of the People.
He has refused for a long Time, after such Dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the Dangers of Invasion from without, and Convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the Population of these States; for that Purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and Amount and Payment of their Salaries.
He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People, and eat out their Substance.
He has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our Legislature.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:
For imposing taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended Offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an arbitrary Government, and enlarging its Boundaries, so as to render it at once an Example and fit Instrument for introducing the same absolute Rule in these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Powers to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People.
He is, at this Time, transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the Works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the Executioners of their Friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic Insurrections among us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People.
Nor have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. We have warned them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legislature to extend an unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the Circumstances of our Emigration and Settlement here. We have appealed to their native Justice and Magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the Ties of our common Kindred to disavow these Usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Correspondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of Consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the Necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of Mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace, Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of the divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Signed by Order and in Behalf of the Congress,
John Hancock, President.
Attest.
Charles Thomson, Secretary.
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