Rachel Maddow on Mastodon:

[applegrove]

Future Republican Fascist Dictatorships don’t care about rights & liberty. It’s about profit & power. #VoteBlue. USAunif... https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=562515172665189&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

Mastodon

[MutantAndProud]

1. Bingo

Otherwise they’d be called options. To be bought and traded like stocks. Which is literally what the majority of conservatives seem to back now. It’s a mass cult.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

2. That's the thing about "rights"...

They’re dependent upon the decency and goodwill of those whose action they would constrain.

And we’re dealing with fascists and kooks, people who have zero decency.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Americans are guaranteed certain unalienable rights which means they cannot ever be taken away.

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.--

[Alice Kramden]

5. This

N/t

[ITAL]

8. Technically, that's not a *guarantee*

The Declaration of Independence is more like a Mission Statement. Guarantees are in the Constitution.

[Irish_Dem]

10. Thomas Jefferson said what he meant with absolutely no question in his mind.

He is telling WE THE PEOPLE that we have rights which cannot be taken away.
And that the new government will guarantee those rights.

Splitting legal hairs can never take away from the magic of Thomas Jefferson's words.
And his truly profound message.

The Bill of Rights and Constitution are the small print to the Declaration of Independence.

[ITAL]

11. The Constitution is the thing

The second paragraph of Thomas Jefferson is indeed only a mission statement. That's what we like to focus on, but by far the more important part of the Declaration at the time that was discussed was the list of grievances. It is likely that his poetic turn of phrase garnered scant discussion at all given where it is buried. Over time its importance became apparent.

[Irish_Dem]

12. I'm not an attorney so I am allowed to see it as a genius creating magic.

And the sacred message Thomas Jefferson was delivering.

Yes I understand what you are saying.

I have a degree in political science and was headed for law school.
But at the last minute I decided to see, interact and work with the world in a different way.

Welcome to DU.
I am not trying to bust your chops, really!

I promise to quit arguing with you!

[2naSalit]

4. That would be THE thing.

[wendyb-NC]

6. Exactly

[Blue Owl]

7. K&R

[Ptah]

9. George Carlin - You have no rights

[Upthevibe]

13. Kick. n/t