I always find it amazing how insightful the Founders were almost 300 years ago when they wrote the Declaration of Independence and then framed the Constitution.
Today, there is very little that we as a population agree on whole-heartedly and collectively, but we still seem to have consensus on the value of the rights and freedoms established in these documents. Approximately 9 in 10 Americans feel that four of the rights and freedoms in the following graphic are absolutely essential, or at least very important if not essential (the % who believe “absolutely essential” is in parentheses):
Only one part of the Constitution seems not to command quite the same support of an overwhelming majority of Americans. Most believe that the right to bear arms (the 2nd Amendment) is important (68%), but only 42% believe it is absolutely essential.
And, here are two more principles that may not be part of the letter of our law, but are there in spirit.
- Access to quality public education – 93% (80%)
- Access to affordable health care – 88% (71%)
So what do we do when two of these principles come into conflict…. when someone wants to speak out with abhorrent language against another religion? when potential legislation asks to require ID to vote? when an illegal immigrant’s child wants to go to school?
One of our own, Laura Light, examined these issues while attending graduate school at Harvard many years ago. If you would like to audit something similar, check out this link.
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