WESTFIELD — During public participation at the Jan. 15 City Council meeting, former City Solicitor Peter Martin of Westfield read excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and asked the council to recommit themselves to the values and self-evident truths as declared by the nation’s founders.
Martin said he was present at the City Council meeting on Dec. 18 when Historical Commissioner Jennifer Thielen read the mayor’s proclamation, declaring Jan. 12, 2026, Major General Henry Knox Day and announcing a celebration on July 3, 2026, to honor both Major General Knox and the values and self-evident truths in the Declaration of Independence.
“I had intended at that time to read the Declaration of Independence in celebration of the mayor’s proclamation. My intention was sidetracked, however, as I became aware that other speakers were recognizing Dec. 18 as the last council meeting that another friend, Rick Sullivan, would be attending, and I chose to use my time to honor him with a few heartfelt words,” Martin said.
“I now return to the Declaration of Independence. As the mayor’s proclamation states, now, 250 years after that signing, we Americans remain united in the support of the values and the self-evident truths as declared by the founders of our nation.
Our founders recognized tyranny when they saw it, and they took action. We Americans can recognize tyranny today. Action is a reasonable response. In light of that, and in light of the turbulent times in which we live, I urge you, our elected legislative representatives, to recommit yourselves to the values of our founders and to recognize the truths, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, as being self-evident,” Martin said.
“Now, in the interest of time, I will conclude by reading an abbreviated version of the Declaration of Independence, which uses the actual words of our founders as written in the declaration that they signed 250 years ago, the anniversary of which we Americans celebrate this year,” he continued.
“From the Declaration of Independence: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
“When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce the people under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such Government and to provide new Guards for their future security.
“The history of the present king is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
“He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states for that purpose, obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners, refusing to pass others to encourage their migration. He has obstructed the administration of justice. He has made judges dependent on his will alone … He has erected a multitude of new offices … and sent swarms of officers to harass our people. He has kept among us in times of peace standing armies … without the consent of our legislators.
“He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitutions … for cutting off our trade with all parts of the world; for imposing taxes upon us without our consent … for transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses.
“For taking away our charters, establishing our most valuable laws, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering, fundamentally, the forms of our government.
“He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging war against us … He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us …
“A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.’ “
“Now these are my values,” Martin said. “If these are your values, and if you recognize these stated truths as self-evident, I invite you to join me as I raise my hand to claim these values and truths as my own. Thank you for your time, thank you.”
