A little over 200 years ago, a cabal of radicals, liberals, libertarians, freedom fighters, Christians, Atheists, and independent thinkers, declared their right to sever ties to their homeland. Although this coalition was underfunded, malnourished, and poorly armed compared to the awesome might of the British Empire, together, they fought and died to establish their independence, and to form a new nation.

Over the next few years, these rogues, these imperfect champions, these terrorists in the eyes of the Crown, these extraordinary mortals who would likely spit in the faces of our current "leaders", managed to hammer out a Constitution which acknowledged (for they did not "grant" us anything) the rights and principles of liberty inherent in all enlightened human existence.


Ladies and Gentlemen of the United States Congress, Mr. President, and members of the Judiciary, hear this: these rights do not belong to you any more than they belong to me. They are not yours to abolish or give away! They are what made America unique, and strong, and respected in the world for more than two centuries, and they belong to all of us!

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/21/212533/443/45/540000