photo courtesy of the Ridgewood Professional Firefighters FMBA Local 47
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, as Americans celebrate Independence Day, many are reflecting on the nation’s founding ideals—and whether the United States today truly lives up to them. According to a recent Rasmussen Reports national survey, only 36% of American adults believe that the Founding Fathers would consider the United States a success if they returned today. In contrast, 41% think the Founders would see modern America as a failure, with the rest unsure.
This sobering statistic invites a deeper look into the Declaration of Independence, the founding document that set America on its path—and asks the question: What would the Founders think of the nation they created?
photo courtesy of the Kasschau Memorial Shell
The Declaration of Independence: America’s Founding Vision
Adopted on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence formally announced the American colonies’ break from British rule. More than a political document, it was a bold philosophical statement rooted in Enlightenment ideals, proclaiming that governments must serve the people, not the other way around.
Key among its declarations:
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All men are created equal
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People are endowed with unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
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If a government becomes destructive, the people have the right to alter or abolish it
Though the document didn’t establish a government or legal system, it laid the moral and ideological groundwork for American democracy and inspired movements around the globe—from the French Revolution to Latin American independence, and later, to civil rights and women’s suffrage in the U.S.
courtesy of the Village of Ridgewood
A Nation Born from Protest
The Declaration didn’t emerge in a vacuum. It was born out of decades of conflict with the British Crown—over taxation without representation, trade barriers, and military overreach. In 1776, the Second Continental Congress tasked Thomas Jefferson, along with John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, with drafting the document.
While Jefferson penned the first draft, both Adams and Franklin made key revisions, including changing the now-famous phrase from “sacred and undeniable” to “self-evident” truths.
Though July 4 marks the day the Declaration was adopted, Congress actually voted for independence on July 2, and most delegates didn’t sign the document until August, after a formal handwritten version (the Matlack Declaration) was completed. Today, it is enshrined in the National Archives.
courtesy of the Village of Ridgewood
The Declaration’s Structure and Grievances
The Declaration is structured as a logical argument:
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Preamble – States the philosophical foundation.
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Grievances – Lists 27 complaints against King George III, including:
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Imposing taxes without consent
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Denying trial by jury
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Keeping standing armies in peacetime
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Dissolving local legislatures
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Conclusion – Declares the colonies to be “free and independent States.”
Lasting Impact and Global Influence
The Declaration’s legacy extends far beyond 1776. Its words have inspired:
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The French Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)
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Latin American revolutionaries like Simón Bolívar
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The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments (1848)
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Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (1863)
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech (1963)
These milestones show how the ideals of equality and liberty have been invoked repeatedly in struggles for justice and human rights.
photos courtesy of the Village of Ridgewood
Do We Still Honor the Founders’ Vision?
As the nation celebrates another Independence Day, the debate continues about whether modern America reflects the vision outlined in the Declaration. The latest Rasmussen poll suggests deep national ambivalence:
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36% say the Founders would see America as a success
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41% say they’d see it as a failure
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23% are undecided
While the U.S. has made remarkable progress, including the abolition of slavery, expansion of voting rights, and civil liberties protections, ongoing issues—political division, social inequality, and governmental distrust—have led many to question whether the Founders’ lofty ideals have been fully realized.
Final Thoughts: The Declaration’s Relevance Today
Though penned nearly 250 years ago, the Declaration of Independence continues to serve as both a blueprint and a benchmark. It is a reminder of the nation’s founding promise and a challenge to every generation: to build a country that truly honors the rights, liberties, and equality envisioned in 1776.
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WE FAILED!
most of us are paycheck to paycheck and will have to work for the rest of our lives and addicted to all the wrong things. We were lied and manipulated into thinking what is going on around us is normal and part of the human evolution.
In Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Forum in 2020, they said this was the great reset…. remember Build Back Better!!!! we will own nothing and be happy.
For what? To keep this machine moving forward? Toward what? What is our goal here on Earth?
Is it just for temporary pleasure, or are we here to serve a real purpose like being with nature, being self-sufficient, helping neighbors, and creating a more sustainable organic way of life?
Not so long ago, our ancestors were hunters and gatherers, farmers and ranchers. Why is it that no one around here every talks about farming and ranching? Is it because it was never promoted in our school system? They never talked about farming and ranching and biology in school cause they didnt want us knowing the truth, they didnt want us tapping into what make us wholesome. They feed us slop for 15-20 years and then release us into the real world with no critical thinking skills and no common sense. Processed and packaged food, lights camera actions, yall been fooled and sold a lie. This is not how our real lives are meant to be. Our ancestors sacrificed so much so us, why can we just grow so balls and tear the system down to start over?
What is it going to take for the elite to start fearing us the common man. What will be the straw that broke the camels back?
No taxation without representation. We need a revolution.
This country right now is a disgrace. Politicians with no backbone and continuing to break their promises. A good book to read is “The Midnight Kingdom” by Jared Yates Sexton. It explains why this country is in a mess again. I found it very eye opening.
OMG. Wow! How sad.
And your going to get one.
and the class that you reference above, the Lights camara action morons?
they will be the first ones eliminated. its pretty simple. No survival skills let alone common sense.
The people will rise and the establishment will fall as is justly so.
mark my words.
Good nothing would make me happier than to be united with “Most” Americans…at least the law abiding citizens that work and pay taxes.
We could march by the millions haha peacefully…not mostly peacefully..but like 100% peaceful and send a message.
Not like the g floyd protests….there were too many instigators during that….
we need a real protest in NYC
like 2020 democrats got a chance to go wild in this country yo and we couldnt really fight back. no one wanted to go to the city. but now…its 2025 and people are awakened more than ever especially younger people. Boomers need to step up for the younger generations. They control most of the wealth in America and in general, they are making poor decisions as far as selling out to make a dollar.
The founding fathers are rolling in their graves. Everything they fought for to bring this debauchery – particularly what we’ve been experiencing the last 30 – 50 years? We are past the slippery slope of the decline. There is to coming back from this.
At least I got to experience our town and this country during a time when things were not as crazy as today. God help us.
OMG. Wow! How sad.
shut up libtard. Go back to Manhattan where you can defund the popo. Mamdani is your new mayor.
“I run past a cemetery a lot at home. And when I run past the cemetery it saddens me, not because they are dead, but because of all the untapped potential. Alot of us die never tapping into our full potential.
And I often look at wash rags when I am ringing them out and hanging them up as my soul. And I wont be satisfied until every drop of that wash rag, which is my soul, is completely rung out.
So, in my life, I won’t be satisfied until everything I have in me is completely out of me. That’s when I will be satisfied”.
-David Goggins