Yes—and it’s not the product of oft-criticized Democrats who contend for an expansion of rights.
It’s rooted in a theory of natural law that is stated in the Declaration of Independence.
The Continental Congress that met in Philadelphia in 1776 adopted most of Thomas Jefferson’s opening paragraph that declared independence. He wrote, “all men are created equal.” All people have “inalienable rights,” including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Jefferson derived these ideas from 17th and 18th-century philosophers who believed that universal laws of nature dictated not only the movement of stars and creation of life but also human existence.
Why this post today? My online class is reading a case about Target store security officers who were required to answer questions about their sexual thoughts. California has a state constitution that copies words from the Declaration of Independence. Courts view these rights as creating a right to privacy—here, the right to be free from sharing your sexual thoughts with a prospective employer.
Later today, I’ll work on my research that traces citizenship rights for freed slaves and their descendants. Ironically, Jefferson owned slaves. When he wrote those about those expansive rights grounded in human nature, he overlooked slaves, women, and “Indians” (a term used in the Constitution).
The point? Our society still struggles with the concept “all men are created equal.”
What do you think that term means? Does it apply to illegal aliens in the U.S., and if so, to what extent?
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