Author Dr. Robert Saul

Raising Young Citizens in the Age of Columbine

A Declaration for Children

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“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all children 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 above quote from the Declaration of Independence, adopted in 1776, has become the de facto credo of the United States.  It has become our North Star explaining the concept of democracy and explaining how citizens should interact in a civilized society.

The observant reader will notice that I substituted a key word.  I have substituted “men” with “children.”  And I think this substitution is more relevant and necessary than ever in my lifetime.

Let me provide some background. Walter Isaacson recently published a brief tome titled THE GREATEST SENTENCE EVER WRITTEN.1  As I read this book, I realized that his dissection of the parts of this sentence speak strongly to how this pertains to children.

  • WE – the context for “we” is that each person puts their interests in common to the general will. So, children, though underrepresented by policy makers, are as important as the policy makers.  They are included in the “we.”
  • SELF-EVIDENT TRUTHS – the truths that are elucidated later in the sentence are “self-evident,” that is they are not contingent upon some type of review. They are true and apply to all, including children.  This was regarded as a somewhat revolutionary at the time but the Declaration in and of itself was revolutionary.
  • ALL MEN (ALL CHILDREN) – At the time of the Declaration’s writing, “all men” was unfortunately a restrictive term. It did not include slaves, women, and Native Americans.  But now, any exclusion of certain groups is unconscionable.  Children are definitely included!
  • CREATED EQUAL – As a part of social contract implied under the first word (“we”), children (all children) are created equal and deserving of equal protections. There are no hereditary social classes.  All children “are equally designed for the enjoyment of happiness” as per Benjamin Franklin, and the duty of the government was to secure “those blessings of liberty.”
  • ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR – While there was some disagreement amongst the signers of the Declaration, all agreed about a supreme being bestowing rights from birth, not from social status later in life. Since we all start as children, the endowment starts then and should never be denied.
  • CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS – to quote Isaacson, “there are certain rights that are inherent to a person’s existence in a state of nature…[and no] government or monarch [can] deprive them of those rights.” Political manipulation of those rights is antithetical to the intent of the Declaration of Independence.
  • LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS – This group of words essentially focus on “fulfillment, meaning and well-being.” If all the adults are entitled to such assurances, I would contend that our children should receive them to an even greater degree to guarantee their successful development.

Isaacson further delineates the global concepts of “common ground” and “the American Dream” to provide a blueprint for implementation of the Declaration in practice.  Obviously, the subsequent Constitution is the policies and procedures “manual” for the Declaration’s credo and meant to provide a series of laws for us going forward.

I chose to take the “the greatest sentence ever written” to remind us of the need to put children at the forefront of your thoughts and actions.  Children are as important as “the men” put forth in the Declaration.  They cannot vote and cannot advocate for themselves.  They are the forgotten ones.  Advocacy on their behalf is needed now more than ever.  Their health and well-being now in the early years are the path to their unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

It is never too late to declare with conviction that – “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all CHILDREN 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.” 

 

  1. Isaacson W. The Greatest Sentence Ever Written. Simon and Schuster; 2025. 80 pp.