by Chuck Lanehart

As the weather gets warmer, it’s a reminder that summer is coming soon, and with that, one of my favorite holidays, Independence Day. In recent years, I’ve been fortunate to be a part of what can now be called a movement: just before the July 4 holiday every year, I join local lawyers on the steps of the Lubbock County Courthouse. There, we celebrate American liberty with a public reading of one of the greatest documents ever written, the Declaration of Independence.

The Lubbock Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (LCDLA) has sponsored the annual readings since 2011, and every year it gets bigger, drawing more readers, more lawyers, more spectators and more local media to cover the event. With a bit of drama, the little ceremony draws attention to the real reason July 4 is such a special day in our country and in world history: it was the day in 1776 the American colonies officially declared separation from Britain, sparking the flame of democracy that raced across the globe.

Our annual reading on the courthouse steps is an attempt to recreate similar demonstrations in the days and months following July 4, 1776, when Americans gathered everywhere on local town squares to learn of the Declaration of Independence, and to first hear the document read publicly. The power of the words galvanized the entire colonial population, and after eight years of terrible war, independence was finally gained. Our great nation was born.

Celebrants of the “Fourth of July” are often forgetful or ignorant of the importance of the Declaration’s 1337 words. These powerful words not only incited a rebellion against the tyranny of King George III, they inspired the American system of government and justice that followed years later when the Constitution and Bill of Rights were adopted. An example: paragraph 18 of the 1776 Declaration accused the King of “depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury.” Fifteen years later, the complaint morphed into the right of trial by jury via the Bill of Rights, contained in the 6th Amendment of the United States Constitution. Another example: paragraph 12 of the Declaration accused the King of “render(ing) the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.” The complaint is now embodied in our 2nd Amendment Right to bear arms.

Criminal defense lawyers are uniquely qualified to celebrate the virtues of the Declaration, as we appear in court each day to defend the individual freedoms embodied in the document. The Declaration is an affirmation of our oath and duty to remain ever vigilant against those who would rob our countrymen of their liberty.
The Lubbock County readings are but a small part of a larger movement. Sponsored by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, local readings are now held across the state and in a few other states and nations as well. Last year, readings were held in almost 140 Texas counties. This year, I volunteered to assist the statewide organizers, and I’m proud to say we have commitments for readings in each of Texas’ 254 counties.

Part of our commitment is to make sure readings are held in rural counties, where few lawyers practice. At my request, LCDLA stepped up to the plate. On July 1, following the 9:00 a.m. reading at the Lubbock County Courthouse, volunteer Lubbock lawyers will fan out across the South Plains and read the Declaration of Independence on the courthouse steps of 28 surrounding small counties. They will travel more than 1800 miles.

If you are reading this, you should plan to attend a Declaration of Independence reading. There will be one at your local Texas courthouse sometime on July 1. You won’t regret the experience.