“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.”   – Thomas Jefferson

Time has given the myth that the author of The Declaration of Independence is Thomas Jefferson.  The truth is that the document was written by a committee of five.  Jefferson was the reluctant author of the first draft after general consultation with all other members and more extensive consultation with John Adams.

Regardless of how this tradition is passed down into posterity, there is something far more important to realize in these words.   It is that God, not government,t endowed all of humanity with these rights.  Further, these rights are sacred and not to be violated.  This becomes increasingly important in realizing that without the attachment of a Bill of Rights to the Federal Constitution that the Constitution would never have been ratified.  When the world sees the United States citizenry quibble over this or that provision in the Bill of Rights, to those who know their history, this is no small thing.  Why? Because even if half forgotten, we hold these rights to be just this -unalienable.