"WE MUTUALLY PLEDGE TO EACH OTHER OUR LIVES, OUR FORTUNES, AND OUR SACRED HONOR"! Those who have read the Declaration of Independence are familiar with this phrase.
A number of years back a state trooper came to an accident scene in one of our western states, can't recall which one, upon arriving he found a man, hopelessly trapped in the wreckage of his car. The trooper tried without success to remove the man. Shortly after this, the car burst into flames and the helpless man in the car cried out as the flames began to burn his flesh. Finally in sheer agony he begged the state trooper to shoot him---the trooper did not!
We each will find some point as that trooper did when we must make a decision, perhaps not such a vital one as the trooper, but one nevertheless that will effect us during our remaining days. The trooper choose not to shoot the burning man, maybe because he opposed mercy killing, maybe because he would be breaking the law---there could be any number of reasons.
How would you have answered the dying man's plea? Would you think of mercy, of your job, of the law, or of some higher moral values. The founders were faced with these questions when they put pen to paper and gave us the Declaration of Independence.
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