As I suggested below, this week I want my 2301s to weigh in on the possible implications of a bit of loose language in the Declaration of Independence - which is the subject of this week's class.
The sentence itself is quite famous: "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." The word "among" suggests that there are more than three listed, but how are we to figure out what those additional rights might be? And what does this tell about conflicts about the meaning of fundamental documents?
In 150 words weigh in on this question: Are there unalienable rights that exist beyond the three listed in the Declaration of Independence? If so, how can we tell what they night be? That last part might be the tricky part.
This will set us up for a further exploration of conflicts over the meaning of language within the Constitution.
