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"We hold these truths 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 – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
-The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, July 4th, 1776

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On July 4th, 1776, a number of folks founded our country on the notion of 'unalienable rights' for all men. It's been a long time since then...and what do you think?

– Do such rights seem actual or alien? A couple hundred years ago, these 'unalienable rights' were created by (and perhaps only intended
for) a privileged minority of Christian, heterosexual, wig-sporting, old, white men. Today, issues of equality are at the forefront of public debate.

What rights do we have? What more do we need? What rights can we declare for ourselves today? Add your clause here. Declare yourself. Now.

I truly believe in and support what America stands for. That's why I feel it is extrememly important that all Americans vote. Everyday the government is making changes to American law, effecting the way WE live. I think it's ashame that the 18-24 age group is the least likly to exercise our right to vote.... after all, we are the future of this country! What scares me most, is that the majority doesn't rule in this country, because people don't understand that just HAVING an opinion isn't enough. You have to write to your represenatives if they are ever to know what it is the people they represent want.

Each day more and more freedoms are being taken away by the government, whether it be through the Patrioit Act, the Brady Bill, the Gay Marriage Bill, or anyother freedom limiting law. For some reason this prospect still hasn't frightened the American people: many of the decisions facing law makers today could either stand true with the spirit of America and the freedoms we establish, or turn us into another godless theocracy.

So the point of this ramble: Vote!!!

What stinks is that every different group for anything stands for something and is dead set on that and goes to congress to get a law to protect it, change it... and most groups have different beliefs. It's this ongoing battle to take from one group, give to the other. A fight to compromise... and I think that's hurting alot of our liberties.

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-end soap box time, before my diarrhea of the mouth kicks in-

For me, what I want to know is why someone born in another country can't run for president, if they've lived a long time there. I mean, if someone moves to Turkey at the age of three, lives there until they're 30, but was born in America and gets a citizenship, lives there for a while, they can run. I moved here from Canada at the age of two, am completely loyal to U.S., and can't run ever.

THAT'S something to fix.

Is privacy a right? It should be. I bet it is violated even more than we know. Emails, IMs, message boards...nothing's really private if you think about it

im not at all satisfied with my rights and liberties, everyday more and more are taken away.

* *** i cant even set off some fireworks to celebrate the 4th without the risk of a $5000 fine(not that its gonna stop me)

[This message was edited by YNmoderator on July 02, 2004 at 10:06 AM.]

I think a major difference between today and the time our country was founded is that we now include in our image of an ideal world freedom and equality for all types of people. This is an accomplishment in itself. Now that we strive for an all-accepting world, we are more ambitious in our fights for equality. However, we still have a long way to go. In America, we have passed numerous legislations to promote fairness and equality. Now, it seems the struggle exists in our every day lives. We still have problems. We still must work to create equal opportunities for all. Although the law might include clauses concerning fair rights, it is now necessary to change the deeper roots of the problems, stemming from the mindset and actions of everyday people. It’s our right to be unsatisfied with America today and to try to do something about it.

I am satisfied with my rights and liberties.

If all people are really created equal, why can’t I vote? Does the government think that just because I am under 18 I am not a person? Just because I am under 18 doesn’t mean I don’t have a valid opinion on who becomes President. I care about what goes on in our country just as much as my friends who are over 18, but I still can’t voice my opinions in the polls. To think that because I am under 18 means that I should not be able to help decide the future of the country my generation is going to inherit does not make any sense. It is my future as well as my parents, I should be able to help decide it. If it were up to me, the voting age would be lowered to allow more informed people to help decide the future of our country.