%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Text of Independence Day Address in Kansas City, MO - July 4, 1992 by Andre Marrou Libertarian Nominee for President %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Two hundred and sixteen years ago today, our forefathers issued the Declaration of Independence, separating America forever from Britain. The words of that document still read true and clear: '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 to abolish it, and to institute new government....' The 56 men who signed the Declaration suffered greatly for their courageous act: - 5 were captured by the British and tortured to death; - 12 had their homes destroyed; - 9 of them died in combat, and - 3 of them lost their sons in the army. All told, more than half of the signers endured terrible hardships. But their patriotism and devotion to liberty were not in vain. For 137 years, or until 1913, the country enjoyed life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness under a small, constitutional, benign government. Then things went awry. The ideals of the Declaration of Independence were to be betrayed repeatedly. - In 1913, the income tax and the I. R. S. were created - the most hated tax and the most feared government agency in U. S. history. - That same year, the Federal Reserve System was established; it has caused more recessions, depressions, and inflations than existed before. - From 1920 to 1933, Prohibition (of alcohol) set the Mafia up in business. - With various hyper-expensive, bureaucratic programs the entire 1928 Socialist Party platform was put into effect. - Nine of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights have been transgressed. - Taxes are the highest in history; federal taxes eat up 1/4 of all income; state, county and local taxes consume another 22 percent - a total of 16 times the amount that caused the Boston Tea Party (3%)!!! - The worst recession since World War II now ravages our land. - The U. S. A. has the highest imprisonment rate in the world, higher than even communist countries. Throughout history great civilizations have declined and ultimately died because of three factors: excessive taxation, debasement of the currency and the stationing of troops in many foreign countries. The United States of America has done, or is doing, all three. Our forefathers in 1776 started a violent, shooting revolution to establish a constitutional government. It took them 13 years to succeed. We Libertarians are leading a peaceful, voting revolution to restore a constitutional government. We've been at it 21 years. We will also succeed. We will elect a Libertarian President and Congress. It's just a question of who and when. Liberty is too precious to abandon. We must not forget the messages on our Liberty Bell and our Statue of Liberty. Don't settle for the lesser of two evils -- that's still evil. It's time to vote for what we believe in, for what is right and proper. Liberty: if it's worth fighting for and dying for, it's certainly worth voting for! I'm Representative Andre Marrou, the Libertarian nominee for President.