WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS
Background: The Fourth of July holiday is a celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the founding document of our democracy. Since that day 250 years ago, American citizens have worked hard to live up to the ideals of that founding document. In recent years, however, many have felt that instead of progressing closer to those ideals, the country has actually regressed further away. In fact, it oftentimes seems that our own political leaders have completely forgotten that these ideals even exist. We believe, therefore, that the time has come to return to and remember those original ideals proclaimed in the Declaration. The Declaration calls these ideals "truths" because the authors considered these ideals to be not only self-evident, but also universal and timeless. "We hold these truths" --the famous phrase that opens the second paragraph of the Declaration--is the statement that announces to the world that these ideals are ones that we hold deeply and proudly.
What We Are Asking: This Fourth of July 2026, we are urging all Americans to return to and remember the truths of the Declaration of Independence together. We are encouraging A WIDESPREAD PUBLIC READING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
How to Do It: This would be done in the way that works best for you, your families, your friends, your groups, and your communities. If you are in an activist group that is considering having a rally on July 4th, consider passing out copies of the Declaration and having a loudspeaker reading of the Declaration the central event of the day. If you are at a party with family or friends, consider taking a pause in the festivities to consider the importance of the day by having someone read the Declaration to the guests. If you are on vacation, or at a fireworks event, or just hanging out, read the Declaration out loud. Whether you ate with a lot of people, a few friends, or even by yourself-- read the Declaration out loud. In addition to reading the Declaration out loud, we are sure many people would like to see other people reading it. So we encourage those who film a reading of the Declaration to post clips on social media with the hashtag #WeHoldTheseTruths