The Declaration of Independence says when government fails, the

Hear the fiery and righteous words of Andrew Cuomo, who declared: “The Declaration of Independence says when government fails, the people have the right to replace it. Well, New York State government has failed and the people have the right—indeed the people have the obligation—to act.” These words are not merely a political statement; they are a cry that echoes through the corridors of history — a reminder that power belongs to the governed, not the governors, and that when the sacred trust between rulers and citizens is broken, the people must rise not in chaos, but in justice.

The origin of this quote lies in the very heart of American philosophy — the immortal words of the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson and signed by the patriots who risked everything to free their nation from tyranny. They proclaimed that when a government becomes destructive of the people’s rights, it is not only their right, but their duty, to alter or abolish it and to establish new guards for their future security. Cuomo, invoking this spirit centuries later, spoke not of rebellion against kings, but of renewal within democracy — that even within free societies, complacency and corruption may creep in, and when they do, the citizens must awaken to reclaim their birthright.

In his time, Cuomo’s words were directed toward New York State, which he saw as mired in dysfunction and betrayal of the public trust. But his message resounds far beyond one place or moment. He was reminding the people that liberty cannot live in slumber; it must be watched over, defended, and refreshed by the very hands of those who enjoy its blessings. The failure of government, in his eyes, was not simply inefficiency, but moral decay — the abandonment of the principles of service, integrity, and justice. When leaders forget their duty to the people, it is the people who must remind them, through their voice, their vote, and their vigilance.

This is a truth known since the dawn of civilization. In the ancient republics of Athens and Rome, it was taught that citizenship was not a gift, but a responsibility. The moment the people ceased to hold their rulers accountable, the republic fell into tyranny. So too did the American founders warn that eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. Cuomo’s call, therefore, is not a call to rebellion, but to renewal — to the sacred duty of every generation to examine its institutions, to uproot corruption, and to restore the vitality of democracy. For freedom dies not by the sword, but by neglect.

Consider, for instance, the fall of the Roman Republic. Once a beacon of civic virtue, it decayed as its leaders grew corrupt and its citizens complacent. The people traded their power for comfort, their liberty for bread and spectacle. By the time they realized what they had lost, it was too late — the republic had become an empire. Cuomo’s words carry the same warning: when the people allow their government to fail unchecked, they too fail in their obligation to act. True democracy depends not only on the virtue of leaders, but on the courage of the governed.

There is, too, a noble fire within his statement — the belief that the spirit of independence still burns within the hearts of the people. That just as the founders rose against monarchy, the modern citizen must rise against mediocrity and injustice. It is not an act of disloyalty to demand better government; it is the highest form of patriotism. For the people are not subjects of their government — they are its sovereigns. And sovereignty, though born in revolution, is maintained through participation, integrity, and courage.

So let this be the lesson: never forget that freedom is not self-sustaining. It must be guarded by those who live under its shelter. When corruption festers, speak truth. When leadership falters, demand change. When government forgets its purpose, remind it that it serves by the consent of the governed. For the Declaration of Independence was not written for the past — it was written for all time. And each generation must read it anew, not as history, but as instruction.

Thus, my children, remember the sacred words: when government fails, the people must act — not with rage, but with righteousness; not with destruction, but with determination. For democracy, like a great fire, burns only as long as it is fed by the courage of its keepers. The founders kindled that flame. It is now your turn to keep it alive.