Thomas Paine was one of the greatest fighters of freedom and independence in America History. He wrote the book called Common Sense and this quote is part of some of his wise sayings in the book ; ‘the cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind’.
What does this mean to the average Joe? Well, l have to say, this man is full of common sense. In short and simple understanding, Paine meant America’s mission for freedom and equality is, for the most part, exactly what all of mankind is aiming for. He was speaking out to Americans, trying to motivate a sense of hatred and urgency to abolish their policy of salutary neglect that the aristocracy of Great Britain had put upon the people of America. He want Americans to unit and fight for independence. Instead of Americans considering themselves as different colonies under the monarchy and rule of Britain, Paine wanted the Americans to unit and form a strong army that will defeat the British and grant them independence.
Pain argued that once a government becomes so tyrannical that the rights and liberties that are the essence of a person’s humanity are violated a nation has at all times an inherent, indefeasible right to abolish that government and establish a new one. The rule of Great Britain was the tyrannical government at this point and he wanted the Americans to break away and start a new country that was not so corrupt and free of social classes separated by economical powers. Paine also believed that every person was born with them rights because they came into being, under auspices of their Creator. These were the illuminating and divine principles of the equal rights of man. Slavery was a crime committed against mankind but that realization never came until people such as Paine began preaching to abolish slavery and set all men free to duel in the world they are born.
I do agree with Paine in the sense that every man is born with certain undeniable rights, but those rights Paine believed to be universal. These rights are however limited especially in other countries where dictatorship has ruled for many decades and even the United States. To me, just like many others, America is an idea and I believe this “idea”, is more conceptual than real because the United States is struggling hard to attain something that the forefathers had foreseen long time ago but it’s not getting fully accomplished. For example, Troy Davis was executed for a crime of murder, which the State of Georgia had no solid evidence. Another man, Samuel Crowe who committed murder and confessed to it in Georgia was given clemency. To Troy, this idea of America being a free and justified nation is not real, because the conditions that solidify it failed and led to his death, I believe it will take a long time to reach this goal of total freedom for all mankind, but we are on the way there and race is a major issue against the world success to attain complete freedom and justice for all. Just like one of the greatest African kings, Haile Selassie, said when he visited Jamaica for the first time, Until the philosophy that places one man superior to another is no more, there is always going to be war and injustice in the world.
