"When, in the course of human events..."

[jfkraus]

Our Constitution is an amazing document. But I think to understand that document, one needs to read the Declaration of Independence. I challenge all of my friends to read the entire Declaration and comment on recent events with it fresh in your minds.

"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."

What's important here is that this Declaration was written BEFORE our constitution. The statement above does not apply to US citizens only. How could it, the US as defined by the Constitution did not even exist yet. This was a revelation for me.

[Catshrink]

1. And Texas wants to ignore the guy who wrote it.

At least in their social studies textbooks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Oh com'on why pay attention to that guy?

He wasn't a good Christian and he was a damn Lib'rul!

(In my best finger waggling, holier than though pose of course)

[Catshrink]

8. And rumor has it that he has a thing for the help.

wink wink

[Vickers]

3. "This was a revelation for me."

:thumbsup:

I learn something new every time I read either one of them.

I still have the "pocket" Constitution I got in Basic...amazing that I had never read the whole thing until I was 18 years old.

[johnaries]

4. It is an amazing document, but what is even MORE amazing

is that so many people felt it was so RADICAL.

So many of the things that we take for granted in both the "Declaration" and the "Constitution" were actually very radical concepts at the time that those documents were written.

Imagine, up until that time "everyone" knew that the only form of government was a king who was crowned by the Church, and whatever the king said was law, as long as the Church agreed. Because the King and the Church knew better than the rest of us.

Actually, there are some Randians who want to restore the failed Medieval Baronic states and the entire Feudal system. They don't recognize equivalence of the state, which is to their detriment.

[Greyhound]

5. It was radical in every sense of the word. It was a giant, progressive, leap forward.

Too few today realize what an incredible thing our little revolution was.

[Bitwit1234]

6. I wouldn't want to get in to a peeing match but

that first statement supports abortion right down the road. Doesn't it. And any law trying to make abortion illegal is a violation of the constitution, because the Bill or Rights are considered a part of the constitution. If you want to amend the constitution you have to vote on it and send it to the states and it would never pass. I don't know why some woman from Kansas or which ever state passed that law about the sonogram doesn't take Kansas to court about violating the constitution.

[coti]

7. The D of I is more important than the Constitution. It lays out flatly a declarative basis

of human rights.