“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” : the most famous phrase penned by Thomas Jefferson as the defining moment to his monumental Declaration of Independence.
And it’s a phrase that all American’s hold dear. It acts as a national credo or motto despite not actually being a part of our nation’s governing documents. And even those who have never read the entire document, have these words memorized.
Most of the states have some sort of lock down…a safer at home, a shelter in place, or such…and it is wreaking havoc on the American economy. We all know that. We are all suffering for it in one way or another. None of this is fair and none of us caused it and none of us should give up.
I don’t think any of you are unaware of the protests around the nation and even just recently in Brookfield, that demand that the governors prematurely reopen their states. They are saying that their liberty is being denied.
“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
There is a reason that those three ideals appear in that order. Life is first. Defending life is more important than defending liberty. And right now we as a nation are struggling to protect the lives of, at this point, hundreds of thousands of Americans. Who knows if it could reach the millions. Real lives…our friends, our neighbors, our families. I am willing to stay home and miss my weekly dinner out with my wife if it means I don’t get sick. I don’t want to be the asymptomatic host and spread it around town and maybe cause the death of your father-in-law…or have your favorite aunt end up with a debilitating injury even though she recovered. I don’t want to waste a single life that could be protected just because I want to go to the neighborhood pub for a beer…or want to go to the movie theater…or go to watch the Brewers play at Miller Park.
Liberty hasn’t gone away. We still have it. It’s just in a reduced and prescribed form at the moment. It’s temporary, we all hope. This too shall pass. But Life comes first. And what liberty do you have if you take away someone else’s life…neither one of you will ever again experience pursuit of happiness.
But the protesters say, it’s my body (don’t get started on that…women have been saying that for quite some time to a tone deaf audience)…and it’s on them if they get infected. But it isn’t…if they get it…they will most likely spread it throughout their social contacts…people who don’t deserve it…don’t suspect it. That’s the rub.
And if they have a bone to pick, it isn’t with the various governors. It’s with the President of the United States. The governors are reacting to the world that’s been thrust upon them…by the inaction of the White House. And they are, for the most part, following the advice coming out of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Now, I agree, the president couldn’t have prevented the virus from reaching the US, but he wasted three months before he reacted to it. There are a lot of American deaths that could have been prevented. And each and everyone of them should be laid on the threshold of the Oval Office. Want to be mad? Hold the president accountable for once.
“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” Life comes first.
The fallacy is; “it’s my body”, but; pregnancy is not contagious.
I always cringe a little when the left or the right quote the Declaration of Independence to bolster an opinion on Law. Our laws are biased on the Constitution. I can understand why you would not want to use the Constitution to try to make your case for not allowing people to peaceably assemble. It’s pretty obvious. In the future, if you want to go outside the Constitution to reinforce the legitimacy of an act of government, you can make a more direct case by quoting the divine right of kings.
Hi Nemo!
First, did you intend to say biased on the Constitution or is that a typo for based.
And no, I don’t think I made a case against peaceable assembly but a case against the cause they were espousing. And making a statement that they were putting the rest of us at risk by their actions. I was going to write about their right to assemble in another post…but that’s moot now.
And you may want to send the link to the divine right of kings to the White House. They may have overlooked it in their general dismissal of the Constitution with the exception of a few words out of the 2nd Amendment.
Greetings Ed!
Based, sorry. Although, with the election of Judge Jill, “biased” is more poignant and funny.
Not sure how moot the right to assemble actually is. It will be front and center after the Wisconsin Supreme Court rescinds our tyrant in training’s latest edicts.
sorry that I didn’t make myself clear…the moot was me writing about it. but in retrospect I think that I will. Tyrant in training? Which one are you referring to? Assembly Speaker Robin Vos or Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald? Oh, wait, the president?
If the edicts that violate our Constitutional rights had come from Vos, Fitz, or Trump, I would stand with you to defend our rights and demand a recall or impeachment. They came from Governor Evers. Will you stand with me?
but they did come from Trump. they are in the various guidelines provided by the WH Coronavirus Task Force and the CDC. As are the guidelines to reopen the state.
Wisconsinites are being fined and arrested (pronounced “having their right to freely assemble suspended”)for violating Gov. Tony Evers stay-at-home order, not President Trump’s.
I didn’t say it was President Trump’s order…I said the governor’s order was based on advice coming out of the White House. The president made it clear last week that he felt that the governors were responsible for taking the actions necessary to protect their states…and then of course…twenty four hours later issued is now infamous liberate tweets.