Proposal 1: The Declaration of Independence (U.S.A.)

[voidsoul]

I propose that we engage in discussing the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America (unanimously declared in Congress, July 4th 1776).

Aside from the events around this document that have played a huge role shaping our world today, there is much philosophical and political meaning within the wording of the document itself. Many subtle sentences convey incredibly well-thought ideas, and many make alarmingly bold statements.

I invite everyone to scrutinize this document down to the word, extracting what meanings we can, and placing ourselves in the situation of those pivotal characters and personalities that declared Independence.

http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/
This webpage contains some links to the document itself, and to lots of general information around the document.

I propose that we set a target date of Thursday, 23rd July 2009, to begin discussion.
Please confirm.

[Samerron]

I confirm the topic.
We need to set an initiate date and a target date. I suggest the initial date to be on the 20th of July and the target on the 25th...

[iAnwar Horizon]

You mean five days to read critically and formulate the thoughts?
Is the discussion bound by time after the target date?

[Samerron]

There is no end time for the discussion. One might come after a while to add a new point or some related article, a new member might want to discuss a point or so. So no end time. Nevertheless, expect for the activity of a subject to decline once the initial date of a new activity starts, since we will start concentrating on the new topic.

[voidsoul]

If I have it right...
The initial date corresponds to the time when the reading materials are settled upon. So we have to the 20th to find some cool related articles...
The target date is when we officially open the discussion on the topic. So, in this case its 5 days to read and think on your own. Then we start discussing.
The discussion thread remains open... But the forum will proceed soon to other topics by accepting new proposals, and setting new dates.

Also, the Declaration of Independence is only 2-3 pages long... 5 days of self-study seems alright to get a meaningful discussion going.
I confirm Samerron's initial and target dates.

[Samerron]

Yup void, that is true.

Since we have agreed to the subject and the initial date and final date, I believe it is the time to start reading.

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An introduction to the United States Declaration of Independence (from Wikipedia)

The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration is a formal explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. The birthday of the United States of America—Independence Day—is celebrated on July 4, the day the wording of the Declaration was approved by Congress.

After finalizing the text on July 4, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in several forms. It was initially published as a printed broadside that was widely distributed and read to the public. The most famous version of the Declaration, a signed copy that is usually regarded as the Declaration of Independence, is on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Although the document was approved on July 4, the date of its actual signing is disputed by historians, most accepting a theory that it was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as commonly believed.

The sources and interpretation of the Declaration have been the subject of much scholarly inquiry. The Declaration justified the independence of the United States by listing colonial grievances against King George III, and by asserting certain natural rights, including a right of revolution. Having served its original purpose in announcing independence, the text of the Declaration was initially ignored after the American Revolution. Its stature grew over the years, particularly the second sentence, a sweeping statement of human rights:

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.

This sentence has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language"[2] and "the most potent and consequential words in American history".[3] The passage has often been used to promote the rights of marginalized groups, and came to represent for many people a moral standard for which the United States should strive. This view was greatly influenced by Abraham Lincoln, who considered the Declaration to be the foundation of his political philosophy,[4] and promoted the idea that the Declaration is a statement of principles through which the United States Constitution should be interpreted.[5]

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