Scott Cumbie

The Declaration of Independence states, “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.”  In this one simple sentence, our Founders declared two things: 1) that all men are created equal, and 2) that our Creator has given us certain rights that no one can take from us.  In his eloquent style, Thomas Jefferson stated that these two truths are self-evident; anyone can clearly see and understand these truths.  It does not take a scholar to explain these to us.

Jefferson then states what three of these rights are: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Life is listed first, because without life, none of our other rights matter.  Some would argue that our Founders were not referring to the unborn.  I would disagree.  There have been laws protecting the unborn since at least the time that Moses penned the Mosaic Law.  Abortion was even a topic of debate in colonial times.  Without question, our Founders would have fiercely argued that the Creator is the one that gives life.  No one has the power to deny that right to anyone, young, old or unborn.



The next sentence states, “That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, …” In other words, the reason that governments exist is to insure that our rights are not taken away from us.  Specifically, the purpose of the American government is to insure that life, liberty the pursuit of happiness is not taken from any of us.  It is vitally important that those serving in government understand that government was created to protect our rights, and among these rights is life!