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Surely more than a few readers of The Times settled in with their paper on the morning of the Fourth and savored, along with their coffee, the reason for the holiday and some of America's best civic poetry: Mr. Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence, as edited and approved by friends, colleagues and political leaders, in General Congress Assembled. And reprinted on The Times editorial page.
Perhaps a family or two gathered and read the Declaration aloud, sharing the reading amongst themselves. It is good, of course, for parents to refresh their children in these ideas, and to ground them in the tradition of reading aloud together on occasion.
Thanks to The Times for running the entire Declaration again, along with the list of signers. I hope the paper will continue to do this and that the number of families who read it aloud will continue to grow each year.
Reading the Declaration aloud is a wonderful tradition.
I've always liked the line in Carl Sandburg's poem "Prairie:" "They are mine, the crowds of people at a Fourth of July basket picnic, listening to a lawyer read the Declaration of Independence ..."
Tack Cornelius
Gainesville