We see America at its worst. In their quest for power, political elites in both parties want to turn the nation 's core beliefs upside down. They believe the power of government should be more important than individual rights. Policy discussions quickly degenerate into discussions of government-selected winners and losers. The end result is an overregulated and over-politicized nation. The remedy is to recognize that in a diverse nation, there is no permanent majority. We all benefit when our rights are protected. Lasting political unity can come only from respecting freedom first. Abraham Lincoln, the president who preserved the Union and issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declared, "I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence." …show more content…
The Declaration, it seems, may have ignited the fire under which the Bill of Rights and the Constitution were written. The Declaration is in large part a summary of what the Bill of Rights stands for. The Bill of Rights in the United States is the name by which the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are known. While the Declaration offered independence from Britain and made general statements, the Bill of Rights offers conclusive and specific rights and laws, from freedom of speech, press and religion, to the right to keep and bear arms; the freedom of assembly; the freedom to petition; prohibits unreasonable search and seizure; cruel and unusual punishment; and compelled self-incrimination. The first ten amendments are truly and expansion on what the first fifty six signers of the Declaration had