Leonidas
Posts: 2078
Joined: 2/16/2004 Status: offline
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You are equal to me in the sense that the founding fathers of my country intended, and that has been so bastardized now that they wouldn't recognize it in the least. You are created equal to me. Which, of course, supposes that you were created at all; something that our founding fathers took pretty much for granted as something that "everyone knows". They were talking about divine right. The fact that they rejected the notion that some men are entitled to be kings and noblemen because they are ordained by God to be. They didn't believe that. It goes along with the next sentence in the often quoted blurb about "equality"... that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. It's talking about freedom, specifically, about freedom from the arbitrary actions of "Sovereigns" who might justify the taking of your rights as their divine (God given) right. I believe in that kind of equality, even though I'm not all that big on bringing the "divine" into it. In other words, I don't believe in entitlement, of any kind, divine or not. Funny how equality, and freedom, and rights have, over a couple of centuries been twisted around by many to mean exactly entitlement. Which is just about the opposite of what Jefferson had in mind. Somehow, somewhere along the way people started equating "rights" with the world owing them something. The world doesn't owe you a damn thing, least of all "equality". You're born with all the equality you're going to get. After that it's up to you, which is as it should be. So yea! is my vote. We are indeed all equal, at least in the sense that our founding fathers intended.
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Take care of yourself Leonidas
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