Last night we pointed out that Glenn Beck appeared to have a rather loose grip on the role of Congress when it came to the nation’s unalienable rights. Here’s what he said yesterday that had us scratching our heads in puzzlement.
I don’t know if you’ve read the Declaration of Independence but you don’t have the power to grant people rights. You don’t create them, you don’t enhance them. They are not yours…In case you missed it “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Who the hell do you think you are Congress? You are not God.
Tonight (I think the show was actually taped earlier today) Beck took a moment to respond.
“I’m getting hammered cause last night I said ‘who do you think you are Congress? You do not create rights, rights come from God, they are given to the people, and you are to protect them.”
Which is admittedly is a somewhat gentler version of Congress’ role as defined by Beck last night. To which Judge Napolitano responded: “You are 100% correct.” Later Napolitano notes that “a right comes from our humanity and God, a good is something you have to purchase.” (Health care is a ‘good’ in this scenario.)
This was followed by some talk about how this pertains to the health care bill, as well as a discussion of the 9th Amendment which says “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people” and which both Beck and Napolitano interpret to mean that the Bill of Rights (and presumably all the Amendments) are what the government is “restricted to do, I’ve got a lot more rights than what that piece of paper says.”
Which is fine. But it also brings me back to my post yesterday, namely, if Congress doesn’t recognize something as an “unalienable right” and then take the measures to protect, does it matter whether or not it’s been granted by God? Intrinsic in this process is Congress’ recognition and subsequent protection of a right. (I’m fairly certain very few early 19th century Americans would have listed the 15th or 19th Amendments as “unalienable” rights.) Maybe this will be touched upon at some further date. Video below.
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