Pen-Elayne on the Web

Declaring Out Loud

Via the Democratic blog Kicking Ass, here's the link to see lots of famous folks reading the Declaration of Independence out loud. (On the right side, under "Watch and Listen," click where it says "Declaration Reading.") I don't know what gave me more chills, seeing Graham Greene read "He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions," or Mel Gibson read, "He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation." Narrated by Morgan Freeman, with music by John Williams, and co-produced by Norman Lear and Rob Reiner, the entire piece is very stirring.