This video presentation is the best explanation of what our founding fathers meant by their insertion of "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," into the Declaration of Independence.
Furthermore, it was plainly understood by those who ratified the Constitution that "happiness" was the pursuit of "property". If you disagree with t...his assertion try this historical resolution that was adopted in the Article I of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was adopted UNANIMOUSLY by the Virginia Convention of Delegates on June 12, 1776. and written by George Mason, is:
"That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain
inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot,
by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life
and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing
and obtaining happiness and safety."
Clearly the men who wrote the Constitution understood the importance of property. Sadly the theift of property is the name of the "Socialize Everything" Crowd at the head of the Government.
I had several responses that I believe added to the facebook thread and its value:
Brandon Koller: That sentence would denote not that happiness = property, but
that each person should have the means to gain adequate property to support
one's happiness.
John Royce: I believe it more accurately put that one is free to purse to the
extent they are able the means to gain adequate property to support one's
happiness.
At the end of this is the concept that property is somehow critical to freedom. This is a simple assertion that holds great power if you care to do a bit of digging into the connections between Life, Liberty (Freedom) and Property.Paul Cargile: Furthermore, owning property insures freedom.
