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.

Those, of course, are the immortal words of the Declaration of Independence.

Selmians will have a rare opportunity to personally view one of the few remaining original copies of that great document when the Declaration of Independence Roadtrip makes a two-day visit to the Slavery and Civil War Museum on Jan. 22-23.

The Declaration of Independence is a seminal document in the evolution of man’s struggle to govern himself and his world wisely and well.

That struggle continues. During the time the Declaration was written, the struggle was to throw off the onerous burden of a monarchy that acknowledged few, if any, limits to its powers. Today, the struggle is to see that the rights and privileges that accrue from living in a representational democracy are distributed equally among majorities and minorities alike. In many ways, the

choices and decisions that we face today are even more difficult than those faced by our forefathers.

It is good that we as a people should pause to remember our common roots.

We urge everyone to support this exhibit and to remind themselves once again about what it means to be an American.