>More than two centuries later, people still quote and are moved by the
>Declaration of Independence because its philosophical points could be
>clearly understood: "We hold these truths to be self-evident..." etc.
Clear language, yes, but a bunch of crap. Proclaiming a truth as self-evident is a lot easier than arguing the point. And remember, that document was written by a slaveholding anti-urbanite who was in many respects deeply reactionary. Just goes to show that things don't always mean what they seem to mean, even if the prose is as clear as beer pee.
Doug