Life, Liberty, The Pursuit of Happiness




“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”. Thomas Jefferson; Declaration of Independence, 4, July 1776

These unalienable rights are further defined by the Bill of Rights. Ratified 1779

Happiness depends on the extent to which our needs are satisfied. Basic needs (food, shelter and clothing) must be met before individuals can pursue self actualization; determined by the extent to which cognitive ability is nurtured.

The U. S. Constitution guarantees our unalienable rights and is unique in the history of nations.  That document says nothing about needs.  It protects the liberty of the citizens of the various United States. 

In recent years political discourse has co-mingled unalienable rights with human needs.  The drive for government to guarantee needs is expressed in terms of “social justice.”  For several decades’ now a strong centralized government, speaking to the needs of micro-groups at the expense of micro-groups, has operated outside the bounds of our Constitution.

Satisfied human needs make the lives of free people tolerable.  In nature individuals are responsible for meeting their needs.  Government of and by the people; makes it possible for society to exist.  Unalienable rights define a free civil society.  A functioning government guarantees the unalienable rights that allow society to develop and individuals to freely self actualize. Our constitution guarantees our Right to Self Defense, Freedom, Liberty, and Justice. We organize socially to provide opportunities for Education, Shelter, Food, Employment, and Healthcare.

Governors that address individual needs by limiting unalienable rights step backward toward totalitarianism and monarchy.  America’s “Great Experiment” has survived for 240 years; can it ultimately survive?  Will common men and women be able to sustain “self governance”? Is it wise to have government think for us, make our decisions and limit our ability to pursue our happiness; or would we rather live free and unencumbered; free to succeed or fail based on ability to cope with daily challenges?

To quote Bob Dylan, “The answer is blowing in the wind.”   Ask yourself if, in two hundred years, your ancestors will still enjoy the Freedom, Liberty and Justice you inherited?

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