Dear Friends,

As we commemorate 250 years of American Independence, I urge you to reflect on the messages in the videos and stories below. The Declaration of Independence’s principles challenged an authoritarian monarchy in which the power of governance did not arise from those being governed. The Declaration articulated a powerful vision that stimulated a people to claim liberty and ultimately create a system of governance that could expand its blessings as a new nation grew. Listen to the voice of wisdom in these words:

"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".

"Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed".

"...we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor".

Benjamin Franklin made clear what that pledge meant: "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately."

We live today informed by his wisdom:

"Without Freedom of Thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as publick Liberty, without Freedom of Speech."

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

These were strong words for guidance in challenging times. These words are worthy of our serious attention today.

With Respect,

Jonathan Granoff,

President, Global Security Institute

Watch: The Liberty Bell That Rings Within Us

Our Friend Leonard Levie has created an inspiring reminder of the bell of liberty that rings in our hearts. Please enjoy it. 

Equality of the soul has become the gold standard of social justice since the Declaration of Independence. It is not based on what is seen with the eyes, but what is understood by wisdom. That is is why it is actually wisdom that is being celebrated on the 4^th of July.

Like millions of Americans I watched the simulation of the rocket's red glare on July 4th. But I sat in a very unique venue, the patio of the United Nations, as a guest of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. I have been reflecting on what we celebrated every day since. What does the US experience provide for the rest of the world? 

July 4^th in the United States celebrates liberation from authoritarian monarchal governance founded on a principle, stated in the Declaration of Independence, that “all men are created equal.” That seed, when stated in the 18th century did not include woman, nor one fifth of the population living in slavery, nor did it embrace equality in civic participation of propertied white men and those without property. That seed has grown into a principle influencing governance the world over wherein the legitimacy of governance is measured by ensuring the dignity of all citizens, regardless of color, religion, race, or gender.

Watch: Our Constitution — The Document That Gave Birth to a Nation

We invite you to spend 21 minutes with Our Constitution: The Document That Gave Birth to a Nation, an award-winning film that Mr. Granoff helped create. It received the Silver Award at the New York International Film Festival (from over 7,000 entries) and the prestigious Gold Camera Award at the U.S. International Film Festival (1990).

This short film tells the story of how a “league of friendship” too weak to pay its own soldiers gave way to a durable framework of self-government. It shows how Washington’s steadiness, Franklin’s wit, and Madison’s clear-eyed vision produced a document built on compromise, checks and balances, and a radical premise—that government may do only what the people permit.

It also tells the harder truth. “We the People” did not, at first, mean everyone. Women, Black Americans, Native Americans, and the propertyless were left outside the founders’ promise. The film traces how the Constitution grew—through the abolition of slavery, equal protection, and the long fight for the vote—into a fuller expression of the self-evident truths embodied in the Declaration of Independence.

Take a moment to reflect on the Constitution’s brilliant structure and the principles it embodies—not as nostalgia, but as a reminder that it is a living framework that ultimately depends on citizens who appreciate its value.

What a glorious beginning:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Watch it, share it with your family this holiday weekend, and pass it along to a young person who is just beginning to discover what those first three words ask of us.

If you would like to support the work of the Global Security Institute, please contact us at info@gsinstitute.org