by Jerry Todd, staff writer
On September 17, 2010 President Barack Obama spoke to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute 33rd Annual Award Gala. During his speech – reading from a teleprompter – he quoted from the Declaration of Independence. Here is what he said: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, endowed with certain unalienable rights, life and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Perhaps his teleprompter or his brain just can’t handle the phrase “endowed by our Creator!”
The Declaration of Independence defines the Constitution philosophically and spiritually, therefore in Beauty and its Author. “Progressives” have argued for years, quite successfully, that the Constitution is a living, breathing document, standing alone from its origins in the Declaration of Independence. It is subject to change as the mores’ of the times change. The Declaration, they say, was a motivational statement designed to gather support for the “real” document – The Constitution.
The Declaration has several key elements that set the moral and philosophical basis for the Constitution. If one were to seek the “sought after ideal” for a form of government, it would be structured according to American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce, in the order of Beauty, Ethics and Logic. A document like the Constitution is a Cartesian nightmare without a moral basis that acquires its authority and blessings outside the reach of faulty humanity.
The Declaration is primarily a Document of Beauty because it recognizes Natural Law; self evident truths; the endowment by our Creator of our universal right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It also runs a litany of abuses to demonstrate the false logic of despotic or “progressive” rule. This has been warfare of politics and the spirit since time immemorial. Here the enemy is met and defeated, though the price of hard-won liberty is eternal vigilance and great personal and national sacrifice. We haven’t done well lately.
The most insidious of these are “acts of pretended legislation.” When reading the complaints against the king, it is apparent that under our Constitution, dishonest, evil and unneeded amendments to necessary legislation are discouraged. It has become accepted practice to use needed legislation as a Trojan horse to sneak in laws and interpretations that could not stand on their own. They put burdens on the people and create special favors at the expense of others. The 2010 Health Care bill launched 159 new agencies “to eat out the people’s substance.” Any bill over 50-100 pages in length is to be held suspect and its perpetrators looked upon with contempt if not treason. Recent legislation, obviously prepared well before the 2008 elections, tend to run between 600 and 3,000 pages. No good can come of that!
The Declaration of Independence is pure Beauty as it is based on Nature’s God, Natural Law and the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity. It also warns of the evils of intrusive government, giving the citizen a basis for discernment of good and evil practice.
(Taken from “Guide 25 – 25 Constitutional Values for Politicians and the People Who Vote for Them” © 2010 Gerald V. Todd www.lulu.com
Gerald V. Todd, Ph.D.
Studies in Origins and Ultimates
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We should be more worried about the drones over the U.S. I am always amazed when reading the constitution the foresight this group of men had and the declaration of independence. What sacrifices our forefathers made to insure the future of these United States. And now it is our turn, and sacrifices will be made.