Floyd Brown Loc: Milwaukee WI

You hear it all the time about the Rights we have & the Rights we are loosing.

But I hear little about the Obligations of those that have those Rights.

So I ask do the Words "Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness" only apply to the few?

Is that the basis this Country was founded on?

Or could it have been meant that all should have a chance to enjoy what those words mean.

If that is so, is it not the Obligation of all of Us to see that Dream can be by all?

Patty

"Pursuit" is a verb and requires action. I am very active in helping others in my community but also will not allow myself to be taken advantage of by those who don't want to take responsibility for creating their own happiness.

Artemis

Think you meant unhappiness :?:

Artemis

Excellent point Floyd, many times I have thought this and have tried to send this message, apparently to mostly deaf ears. When I discuss people coming together my post gets completely abandon, I've come to the conclusion people here just really want to vent and argue.
Which has lead me to wonder why...do we all feel powerless even when we think to resolve an issue...what do we do with it, where do we go from there?

Patty

People seem to think it is a community project to create happiness for everyone else.
I like Dinesh D'Souza analogy. If Im sitting on the beach eating my lunch and a man walks by and says "give me your sandwich" I can either say "no" or give it to him. That is my choice.
If the same guy comes by and Obama rides up on a horse behind him with a gun and tells me to give him my sandwich then proclaims himself as a "humanitarian" he isn't. He is stepping on my right to chose how I spend what I have earned. It is never right to take other peoples rights and give theem to others.

Floyd Brown Loc: Milwaukee WI

Why do you choose to ignore the basics of what this country was founded on?

It is living up to meeting the Obligations that come with the Rights people have. The Obligation to preserve the "Right of All to Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness"

It is not about doing any thing for any one. It is that the system needs to see that all have a reasonable chance at getting those things.

If the Private sector fails to do what is needed to create a fair system then the Government needs to step up & do it.

To much wealth in to few hands is the problem. To much greed keeps the system from giving all a fair chance at having those Rights.

Patty

You are asking the fox to guard the hen house.
http://wallstreetonparade.com/2014/04/insiders-tell-all-both-the-stock-market-and-the-sec-are-r****d/
Getting more cancer can never k**l the original cancer but only makes it become more invasive.

Tasine Loc: Southwest US

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First, Floyd, we must agree on what "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness actually" MEAN.

I believe "life" means that no one has the right to steal your life from you as long as you've done nothing to others. I believe that "liberty" means no man can dictate to me how I live, how I speak, how I act. I believe the "pursuit of happiness" means just that: each of us has the right to do or try to do what makes him happy - and that assumes the other two rights are not infringed on you or someone else. Without an oppressive government, such as the one we now have, every American has all of these things. The more oppressive government becomes, the more these things are diminished.

What do YOU believe "life" means? What do you think "liberty" means, what do you believe "pursuit of happiness" means?

3jack

Charity and assisting others come from the heart....without caveats, conditions, or attachments

Floyd Brown Loc: Milwaukee WI

It needs faith in each other to look out for the best interest of each other. It is only to give each other the chance to have a good life.

Personal greed screws every thing up. When we lack faith in each other & rely one greed to provide the security we seek we only become less secure. For the bottom line is with each of us our security depends on the others security.

When every one has a secure life most of the problems we have will fade away.

For to me only one thing is really clear & that is what ever I feel makes me secure if you are not secure then I am not secure.

For it is only trust in each other that makes life truly worth living.

Being filled with fear is a life to be avoided.

Patty

People confuse these rights as being given by the government, they were not. They were given by "our Creator" made very clear in the 2nd paragraph of the Constitution.
“We hold these t***hs 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 federal, State, and local governments secure this right by not meddling in our lives! We have the right to live our own lives free from interference as long as we do not deprive other people of their God-given rights.

Tasine Loc: Southwest US

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Exceedingly well said, Patty. Charity is heartfelt giving of one's self. Government giving is no such thing. Government first must rob from Peter before it can give to Paul. That is not compassion, NOT humanitarian in any sense of the word.

Floyd Brown Loc: Milwaukee WI

And just how do we control this meddling?

We are all less than what we could or should be.

Constitutional libertarian Loc: St Croix National Scenic River Way

I'm actually getting quite tired of trying to get people on here to listen.

Floyd we completely agree with you, but Patty is right too. To take from one person be it at gun point or through the IRS is stealing either way.

I "strongly" advocate volunteerism, my entire life has been dedicated to helping others. I have been attacked on here by those that say charity isn't the answer.

I say those people are misguided, that if you can help just one person you have made a difference.

They also attack the church, pointing fingers at those tv evangelists, well all I can say to that is turn off the tv and go find a small community church and see all of the amazing work they do for others.

Just find what trips your trigger and give them your time.

If all 300,000,000 million plus Americans gave just a couple of hours a week instead of relying on the gov to solve our problems we would have the America we all know can be achieved.

All I know is I could do so much more if the gov didn't just raise my taxes a year ago. I know 2% doesn't sound like much but that equates to thousands of dollars out of my pocket. And now I read more and more companies want to move out of the us because our corp tax rate is out of line in comparison to others like Ireland's.

Whose greed is it our governments 37% tax rate or companies like walgreens who see some European ones as low as 12.5%.

When do we stop relying on gov and start relying on ourselves.

bahmer

And taxation is stealing from those that have and giving to those that do not have is theft not charity. If they had left the system alone there would be a lot more charity today than there is. Even today if someone wants to be charitable and start a food kitchen for the poor they have to go through all kinds of licensing and inspections as well as intrusions from politicians who want to appear important.