We can live and let live as equals. This is America’s democratic habit of mind. It’s about finding a fair and balanced way to live with our neighbors, to treat each other with respect and tolerance. It’s not the entitlement of some Counts, who act as if they are better than Americans and get to push any whim or want on all of us. Americans enjoy freedom as equals with our neighbors.
Americans can say, “Enough!” to the out-of-control, extreme Money Counts of elite, entitled Counts. Contributing Americans can renew the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, free from the corruption of extreme money, as we:
Achieve a healthy balance. It doesn’t work to live and let live when Counts can easily manhandle Americans and force any of their plans down our throats. We can regulate their extreme behavior and trim back their extreme Money Counts. We can achieve a healthy balance so that Americans can enjoy the equal freedom to live and let live.
Live in fellowship with our neighbors. America works when we stay in touch with one another. It doesn’t work when Counts absent themselves and retreat to isolated compounds. To build tolerance and acceptance, we have to talk and listen to our neighbors, and see how we affect one another. That builds the mutual trust to live and let live.
Reclaim our real disagreements. When Counts call the shots, they rob Americans of the chance to work out our differences. And that just leaves us more and more upset with one another. We can reclaim our disagreements, and handle them with tolerance and grace. Then we’re more ready to live and let live with one another in peace.
On the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Big Woods Declaration (BWD) renews the call for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, free from the corruption of extreme money.
The BWD is a First Amendment petition to the American people and our government. It is not limited to any political party or group.
The BWD is a total of 60 pages: the Core Declaration (4 pages), the 13 Notes, the 27 Dangers to America, and the 16 Solutions for America.
The BWD may be shared and reused under the terms of the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. View a copy of this license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
The BWD was created without the use of any AI, opinion polling, or focus groups. The BWD draws on many core American ideas as well as the work of Thorstein Veblen, America’s visionary from the Big Woods of Minnesota.
All photos in the BWD were taken in the Big Woods. The BWD was framed by Erik Christopher Sahlin with Alyssa Beth Wulf.