Paraphrase of the Declaration of Independence
of the United States of America
When it is time for people to declare independence of a parent country and form their own
government, it is only decent and proper for them to explain the reasons.
The following are obvious: that everyone is born and starts off equal, and that everyone has
certain rights they never relinquish, some of which are life, freedom, and trying to be happy. --
That to protect these rights, people institute and maintain control over governments. -- That
whenever such governments become counterproductive to the purpose for which they were
created, the citizens have a right to change or get rid of the government and start a new one in
order to try to better do the job of providing safety and happiness.
Now, of course, it is only reasonable not to change, on the basis of whim or temporary problems,
governments that have been around a long time; and historically people have pretty much
preferred to suffer through some difficult times with their governments, when they feel they can
endure it, rather than start over again with something new. But when the government repeatedly
does various things in order to repress the rights of ordinary citizens, everyone can, and should,
cancel this government and start a new one that can do the job right. -- The Colonies have tried
to put up with the current government, but it is now to the point where they are forced to have to
get rid of it. The current king of Great Britain has done enough harm in trying to become an
absolute dictator over them. For example:
1. He won't allow the beneficial laws the people need and want.
2. He won't even allow his own administrators to pass really important laws until he gives his
permission, and when his permission is sought, he never gets around even to responding.
3. He won't even pass laws lots of people want unless they give up their priceless right of
governmental representation -- a right only tyrants worry about people having.
4. He has made it so difficult for legislatures even to meet that by the time they do, they are
so tired they are willing to pass whatever he wants.
5. He gets rid of legislators who stand up to him when he treats people unfairly and
criminally.
6. Then, when he does that, he doesn't even allow new elections, thus effectively eliminating
the government altogether that people need to protect themselves against external threats
and internal chaos.
7. He has tried to keep populations small by preventing immigration, naturalization, and land
distribution.
8. He has stopped or slowed justice by not allowing the establishment of a proper judicial
system.
9. He has made judges reliant on him for their job, their continuing employment, and their
incomes and paychecks.
10. He has authorized a zillion positions and sent bureaucrats to fill them and make our lives
miserable.
11. He has kept standing armies among us during peace time without the consent of our
officials.
12. He has tried to place the military above the civil authority.
13. He has tried to make us subject to an unconstitutionally recognized authority and agreed to
their laws:
14. For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
15. For excusing their murders in sham trials:
16. For blocking our foreign trade:
17. For imposing taxes without our consent:
18. For depriving us in many cases of jury trials:
19. For taking us to foreign countries to stand trial on trumped up charges:
20. For replacing the government of a neighboring land (Quebec) as an example of what could
happen to us:
21. For taking away our charters, abolishing our valuable laws, and changing the forms of
government in fundamental ways:
22. For taking away our legislatures and saying they are the replacement:
23. He has declared us no longer under his protection and has even waged war against us.
24. He has stolen from our ships and from our shores; he has burnt our towns and ruined
people's lives.
25. He is now sending large mercenary armies to do even more barbaric things to us.
26. He has kidnapped our citizens at sea and forced them to be soldiers against us, and to
execute their friends and relatives, and even themselves.
27. He has stirred up rebellions among us and tried to get the barbaric Indians on our frontiers
to destroy us.
28. We have asked him nicely each time he has done one of these things to reverse it, but his
answer was to do even worse. He should not be the leader of a democratic country.
The British people have not interceded with their leaders on our behalf either, even though we
have told them what is going on and appealed to them for help and fairness. So we must hold
them accountable for how we are treated also.
Thus, we, as elected representatives of the United States of America, do what is the right thing,
and officially declare ourselves separate from Great Britain in order to be a free and independent
country altogether, with all the rights and responsiblities of every other nation. And we intend to
do everything in our collective power to fulfill this declaration.
For each statement from the Declaration of Independence below, we have provided in
italic type one version of a possible paraphrase; note that you might use wording that is
quite different from our paraphrase -- yet correct and acceptable.
HE has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the
public Good. (He will not give his stamp of approval to the laws we feel are
necessary for our country.)
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. (His leaders oversee the passing of new laws, but when those
laws are put before him for approval he totally ignores 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 holds new laws hostage, hoping citizens will give up their
desire to be represented by leaders they vote for.)
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 holds meetings of great importance at the most inconvenient places and times so that
he will meet little resistance to his ideas.)
HE has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly Firmness his
Invasions on the Rights of the People. ( He has done all he can to shut down representative
government if that government speaks against his actions.)
HE has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and the
Amount and Payment of their Salaries. (He has placed friends in high places as judges; and
threatened their jobs and livelihoods if they go against him.)
HE has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our
People, and eat out their Substance. (He is trying to extend his reach and gain support for his plans by
"planting" supporters in communities everywhere.)
HE has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our
Legislatures. (He maintains armies without approval of the citizens.)
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 captured and forced citizens to join him in fighting and killing their fellow citizens.)