Let’s start with some basics: Your rights do not come from the government. Our founders recognized this when they signed off on the Declaration of Independence, which said in part: “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—.”
Advertisement
In other words, those rights are yours even in the absence of the government. Indeed, the entire Constitution is written with the idea that the government needs to be limited in power and scope to protect those rights. Its signatories understood that, in the absence of that clear prohibition enshrined in the constitution, the government would be
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!