Self-evident Truths...continued.
Liberty
Continuing on, the right to liberty is about?freedom. More specifically, it is about the freedom of man to do whatever he would like to do. While most people would like such a situation for themselves, the government must limit that liberty to a certain extent, or else sinful man would misuse it to abuse his fellow men. This is not an easy concept to understand. As these limits are defined in the Constitution, liberty means freedom from arbitrary and unreasonable restraint upon an individual. Freedom from restraint refers to more than just physical restraint, but also the freedom to act according to one's own will. On numerous occasions the Supreme Court has sought to explain what liberty means and what it encompasses.?For example:
So, in this sense we use the word "liberty" to mean the absence of arbitrary restraints, taking into account the rights of all involved. The exercise of liberty is subject to capability and limited by the rights of others. Thus liberty entails the?responsible ?use of freedom under the?rule of law ?without depriving anyone else of their freedom.
The bottom line is that we have a great deal of freedom in this country, but it is a delicate balance between what we can do and the rights of others. This challenge has been evident recently within the riots that came in locations throughout our country as a result of the death of George Floyd. Did how it occurred “justify” the destruction and looting of property? ?The quote that this thought produced is Martin Luther King Jr’s “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty I’m free at last.” King famously delivered the line during his historic “I Have a Dream” speech during the civil rights March on Washington in August 1963.
Are we truly free if we still have oppression, if the rule of law deprives one while favoring another or the rule of the mob infringes on law abiding citizens??What if we started with this basic premise that all men (and women) are created equal and have the right to life, and liberty??We co-exist on the planet through a healthy respect for the rights of others.?Yes, some might have started at a different place in their lives but each of us have the abilities to work hard, respect the rule of man and rise to a higher level without infringing on the rights of others. No individual is entitled to anything without the effort that they make themselves.
The Pursuit of Happiness
Finally, though the Pursuit of Happiness is not an explicit right in the U.S. Constitution it has become an inalienable right in Constitutional Law through a series of legal cases. An inalienable right is a right we are unable to give up, even if we want to. This is a powerful right that protects us from ourselves, society and even the Government itself. As used in constitutional law the right of the Pursuit of Happiness includes:
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They teach that the ability to pursue happiness is granted, not by a superior class, but by the Source of all wealth - God. It is the birthright of every single person. It is a founding principle of our unique nation. It should be acknowledged and taught with every action we make in pursuing our own happiness — that our American commonwealth is built on the dignity and work ethic of every citizen. Our own national happiness depends on that recognition and our willingness to use the gifts of our own success to help create opportunities for others.
This is where the pursuit of happiness leads — people ever more aware of the great bounty that is given to us all, and ever more ready to help others attain their part in that bounty on their own. It’s a matter of human dignity. What if we conclude with this basic premise that all men (and women) are created equal and have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness??
Like the other two we must pause for the moment to reflect on how we are pursuing happiness today.?It begins with the foundation of defining happiness.?Happiness is a deep sense of flourishing, not a mere pleasurable feeling or fleeting emotion but an optimal state of being. Research shows that happiness leads to a wide range of benefits for our performance, health, relationships and more. But are we truly happy?
Happiness is truly unique. Each person has a different perspective and standards based upon their status of life, relationship to others, and understanding of what they need. True happiness, however, always comes from within. Once you have trained your mind and understood that happiness is a by-product of the mind, outside circumstances will never be able to affect your feelings and emotions.?
Happiness is also generational.?We find satisfaction and completion in different things at each milepost of our lives. At each point we both strive forward and look back as a measure of happiness. We seek new things in life, new challenges and opportunities, and when we reach them, we set new goals. This is what drives us and keeps us moving forward, seeking better lives for ourselves and our children.
Conclusion…
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.
The TRUTH is that we are a divided nation, based upon a terrific promise of freedom and blessed with incredible resources.?We have been assured by our Creator of rights that people of other nations around the world can only dream about. It is the reason why they seek to?come here looking for opportunities.?For some, it is an expectation that they should be given things, their jealousy of what we have make them seek to do us harm. For others, they are willing to work hard for the American Dream and take part in the experiment of Democracy.
We must not take these rights for granted or believe that they will not be taken away as the result of our actions or lack of actions.?We must fight for the Right of Life, seek Liberty and Justice for all, and continue to Pursue Happiness.