Do you believe that Americans still have the right to Life, Liberty and the purs

1. 78

   daskittlez69posted 12 years ago

   Do you believe that Americans still have the right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness?

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2. 73

   stclairjackposted 12 years ago

   yes,... yes we do,... i just dont think that is what the most of the masses want. we have the right to life, liberty and the persuit of happiness,.... but we seem to want something else,... health, licence, and garenteed happiness..... its not the same.

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3. 0

   JThomp42posted 12 years ago

   The life and Liberty is a given when you are born. It's the happiness that you have to fight like H^*L THESE DAYS to gain.

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4. 85

   NateB11posted 12 years ago

   Everyone has the right to life, liberty and happiness, but the fact is in the world such a thing is qualified; we don't start with humans beings having value but instead decide who has value. In other words, some have a right to life, liberty and happiness, so the notion becomes fallacious when regarded by human standards. So, instead we decide how much punishment to dish out, how much liberty to curtail, how much life to take. Mostly, we don't even know the meaning of that phrase.

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5. 81

   Attikosposted 12 years ago

   The United States has what is often said to be the world's highest rate of incarceration. I can't say that's literally true, but it's certainly one of the highest, and most of the so-called crimes on which that vast accumulation of imprisonment is based are nonviolent acts. Now presidents have arrogated the power to execute American citizens on foreign soil with no warrant, no criminal charges, no trial, no verdict, but only because one decides it's what he wants to do and his attorney general rubber rubberstamps it, the right to life is eroding. I wouldn't say it's yet disappeared, but it's fading away.
   
   With the Federal Code over 200,000 pages long, and the Federal Register of regulations exceeding that with hundreds added every day, Americans are hemmed in everywhere they turn by that leviathan body of faux law, its vast and rapidly growing enforcement apparatus, and its exploding surveillance systems. We now live in a police state. There is no longer any way to keep up the pretense Americans still possess liberty.
   
   Without freedom, it is not possible to pursue happiness. That has fallen away along with the other basic rights.
   
   The answer, then, is clearly negative. Americans have the rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, just as do all people everywhere, but they have lost the power to exercise them, and the source of that deprivation is the government they still like fondly to imagine is theirs.

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   1. 59

      KK Trainorposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      So surprised, more pessimism from Attikos.  Why so glum? Why not just enjoy life and stop worrying about our nation deteriorating around you? It's not really so bad is it?

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   2. 81

      Attikosposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It's worse, but you're quite right. Eat, drink and be merry. We may as well.

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6. 78

   daskittlez69posted 12 years ago

   Actually I was in Canada a few years ago. When I was asked where I came from I said America. And I was informed that "we are all Americans". I found it very odd as well, but it is what it is.

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   1. 77

      TIMETRAVELER2posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Canada is part of the North American Continent, and this is why they consider themselves to be Americans!

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7. 0

   danielabramposted 12 years ago

   It is enshrined in our Constitution, so yes.

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8. 77

   TIMETRAVELER2posted 12 years ago

   Absolutely.  America, with all its problems, is still a land of great opportunity.  However, it doesn't come automatically.  People have to pay their dues.  This is nothing new...Americans have always worked hard to get the things they want, and it has always been worth it.

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