Why the Declaration of Independence still matters – Part 3: The Declaration vs. the Constitution

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By July 9, 1776, a copy of the Declaration of Independence reached New York City, where British naval ships occupied New York Harbor. Revolutionary spirit and tension were running high. George Washington, commander of the Continental forces in New York, read the Declaration aloud in front of City Hall. The crowd cheered wildly, and later that day tore down a statue of King George III. They melted down the statue to make 42,000 musket balls for the ragtag American army.

America's separation from Great Britain was officially in writing. Now came the hard part.

The Declaration of Independence defines who we are, what we believe, and what we aspire to be. It is a mission statement. But no one said it would be easy to implement.

The Declaration was not simply an official announcement of our split from Great Britain. If it was just that, it could've been a lot shorter. It was also an announcement that we're starting a new company, and here's what we're basing it on. It didn't just declare independence — it declared principles. It declared how we were going to organize ourselves once we were out on our own, and it set up guardrails to help ensure we didn't end up like the country we were leaving in the first place.

The Founders set us up for success, but America is now fumbling it away, largely thanks to our dangerous drift from the original blueprints.

In our national discourse, it's hard to find agreement even on fundamentals like the Declaration of Independence anymore. There's no time for old-fashioned things like the Declaration when social media can fuel our outrage around the clock.

We have lost touch with our national DNA.

How often do we jump to outrage before we have any kind of perspective on a matter? In 2017, President Trump had only been in office for one month before over 100 activists rewrote a version of the Declaration of Independence, rewording it with Trump in the King George III role. Trump had been in office for a single month. The focus has shifted from unity to partisan winning at all costs. We have lost touch with our national DNA.

Our basic knowledge of the Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights is so weak that we don't have a clue how they relate to each other. As of late 2017, 37 percent of Americans could not name any of our First Amendment rights. And 33 percent of Americans could not name any branch of our government.

Here's another example of our painful misunderstanding. In a Psychology Today article written before the 2016 presidential election, Dr. Mark Goulston was trying to figure out a way to understand Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. This is what he came up with:

Trump represents the Declaration of Independence. Clinton represents the U.S. Constitution.

He tries to explain that Trump supporters are eager to declare their independence from the political swamp system. For the Constitution side of things, he wrote:

It [the Constitution] may have stood the test of time for so long because it was drafted following a long, costly and awful war that the founding fathers wanted to prevent from happening again. That intention possibly enabled them to create a document that was relatively free from special interests and personal agendas. [Hillary] Clinton is more like the Constitution than the Declaration of Independence and appears to be more about getting things done than declaratively taking a stand.

Besides being a completely bogus way to interpret Hillary Clinton, this comparison makes your brain hurt because it so fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between the Declaration and the Constitution. They are not rival documents.

He says the Constitution has stood the test of time because the founders wrote it to prevent another long, costly war. What? No. It stands the test of time because it was designed to protect the “unalienable rights" of the Declaration.

He goes on to say that we need a new Constitutional Convention because, “We may just need to retrofit it to fit modern times."

This is the primarily leftist idea that America is up against today — that the founding documents worked well for their time, but that they now need an overhaul. Progressives seem to live by the motto, if it ain't broke, fix it anyway. Rather than “fixing" things, however, when we understand the Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights as they already are, we discover that they still work because they're tied to universal principles, not a specific point in time.

Here's one way to think about the Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. The Declaration is our thesis, or mission statement. The Constitution is the blueprint to implement that mission statement. And the Bill of Rights is our insurance policy.

Aside from the practical business of separating from Great Britain, the gist of the Declaration is that humans have natural rights granted us by God, and that those rights cannot be compromised by man. The Constitution, then, is the practical working out of how do we design a government that best protects our natural rights?

The creation of the Constitution did not give us rights. The existence of our rights created the Constitution. The Constitution just recognizes and codifies those rights, clarifying that the government does not have authority to deprive us of those rights.

The Founders were extremely paranoid about corruption and abuse of power. They designed a system to avoid as much of that as possible.

The Progressive and postmodern idea that rich white guys founded America as an exclusive country club for enriching themselves doesn't hold water. If that had been their true intent, they seriously handicapped themselves with the emphasis on rights and the checks on power that they included in these three documents. Any honest reading of the Constitution, and of the massive ratification debates that dragged on in individual state legislatures, makes one thing very clear — the Founders were extremely paranoid about corruption and abuse of power. They designed a system to avoid as much of that as possible.

Still, this Declaration-Constitution-Bill of Rights-trifecta thing is just a conservative line, right? It's just something we say because we're stuck in the past and we're in denial about the new and improved, diverse, post-gender, postmodern America, right?

As the Declaration puts it, “let facts be submitted to a candid world."

In 1839, on the 50th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration as the nation's first president, the New York Historical Society invited former president John Quincy Adams to deliver a speech. As the son of John Adams, John Quincy wrote a speech about something near and dear to his — the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He said:

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, are parts of one consistent whole, founded upon one and the same theory of government… it had been working itself into the mind of man for many ages… but had never before been adopted by a great nation in practice…

Even in our own country, there are still philosophers who deny the principles asserted in the Declaration, as self-evident truths — who deny the natural equality and inalienable rights of man — who deny that the people are the only legitimate source of power – who deny that all just powers of government are derived from the consent of the governed… I speak to matters of fact. There is the Declaration of Independence, and there is the Constitution of the United States — let them speak for themselves.

They can, and they do. They don't require any interpretation or updates because our inalienable rights have not changed.

Progressives and Democratic Socialists believe our rights come from the government, but the Declaration emphasizes that our rights are inalienable and are granted to mankind by God. By the way, we usually only use the word “inalienable" now when we're talking about the Declaration of Independence, so we often don't even understand the word. It means something that is not transferable, something incapable of being taken away or denied.

We don't know our founding documents anymore and we're witnessing the disastrous results of this deficiency. We've lost sight of what made the American Revolution so unique. It was the first time subjects who had colonized new lands, rebelled against the country they came from. Government by the people and for the people is a principle that changed the world. Most countries fall apart after their revolutions. We thrived because of the firm principles of the Declaration, and the protection of those principles in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. It's a unique system with a remarkable track record, in spite of our human frailty. But this system is not inevitable — for it to continue to work, we must understand and protect it.

What Trump's victory means for America

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Donald Trump has won the 2024 presidential election!

This is a victory for the Republic, America has the chance to be great again! This is a reminder that you can make a difference and that your opinion and vote matter. Take a moment to celebratet's been a long four years, and light is finally at the end of the tunnel.

But the work isn't done yet. We still have two months until the inauguration, and after that, it will be time for President Trump's real work to begin. It is going to take time and hard work to "Make America Great Again," and there will be opposition and setbacks along the way. Here are three things to keep in mind going into this new era of American politics:

1. Look to the future.

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Under the Biden administration, Donald Trump, and conservatives in general, have faced censorship, lawfare, and even imprisonment. It can be tempting to jump on this opportunity to seek revenge against those who twisted the system against us. But that would only stoke the fire and further divide Americans. It is time to move forward, forgive, and remain humble. It is time to "Make America Great Again" for both Democrats and Republicans.

2. Get involved.

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While Trump's victory in the White House is a huge step forward, it's crucial to remember that change starts locally. Your state and local politicians play a huge role in your day-to-day lives. Get involved with your state government, run to serve on your local school board, and vote for your mayor. Many of these local offices go uncontested, and the Left knows this and will exploit them as a way to push back against the Trump administration unless you stand up against them.

3. Have realistic expectations.

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One of the most exciting promises of Trump's campaign is his pledge to to shrink the federal government, shrink the administrative state, and reduce government spending. Trump will bring on Elon Musk to help trim the fat off of our massive bloated government, and he has even floated the idea of repealing the income tax and replacing it with tariffs. However, this is a massive undertaking and is bound to experience pushback from the Left. It's important to have realistic expectations that this won't be done overnight. We can help expedite the process by getting involved. Call your representative. Call your senator. Demand dramatic cuts from federal spending that go towards woke programs and funding federal agencies that don't have the American people's best interests in mind.

As Glenn said on radio today, another hero has fallen in the cause of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness: P'nut the Squirrel.

The internet blew up over the weekend after the beloved social media sensation with over half a million followers was euthanized by New York state authorities after being seized from his owner's home.

P'nut was rescued seven years ago by Mark Longo, a Connecticut resident, who witnessed the young squirrel's mother being struck by a car. Longo nursed the squirrel back to health, and the two were inseparable ever since. Their relationship blossomed into a social media sensation, amassing over half a million followers. Proceeds from P'nut's social media success helped support Longo's animal sanctuary, P'Nut's Freedom Farm.

All that would end on October 30, 2024. After receiving an anonymous call warning P'nut may be carrying rabies, officers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) raided Longo's home in Pine City, New York, in a SWAT-style fashion, and seized Peanut, along with a raccoon named Fred. Tragically, both animals were euthanized to test for rabies after an officer was bitten during the raid.

Glenn showed Longo tearfully describing the event to TMZ during his radio show this morning:

Officers raided my house as if I was a drug dealer. I was sat outside my house for five hours. I had to get a police escort to my bathroom," shared Longo online. “I wasn't even allowed to feed my rescue horses breakfast or lunch. I was sit, sat there like a criminal after they interrogated my wife to check out her immigration status. Then proceeded to ask me if I had cameras in my house. Then proceeded to go through every cabinet, nook and cranny of my house for a squirrel and raccoon. They got a search warrant for departments, and a judge signed off on a search warrant for a squirrel in a raccoon. And then they took them and k*lled them.

P'nut's euthanization and the raid on Longo's home have sparked a public outcry against taxpayer-funded federal agencies, not only for allocating so much time, money, and resources to a minor case but also for their gross abuse of power. How does a federal agency think it's justified to raid a man's home, treat him like a criminal, take his pet, and euthanize it without giving the owner a chance to contest? Stu hit the nail on the head during Glenn's show today: "It is also one of the most egregious abuses of government power I can ever remember."

It didn't take long for the Left to make this a partisan issue. Washington Post author & MSNBC Commentator Jen Rubin posted on X, "The MAGA Squirrel deserved to die." The post has since been deleted, but screenshots won't let her get away with that comment easily.

How did this become a partisan issue? It's not even clear if Longo is a Trump supporter. Even if he were, what does that have to do with P'nut? Did Longo deserve to have his home raided simply because there's public backlash from right-leaning sources questioning the gross overreach of federal agencies? If the Left believes that questioning federal abuse of power justifies euthanizing a beloved internet sensation, perhaps their twisted partisanship will help push Trump over the finish line tomorrow.

Glenn wants to hear what you think. Let us know in the poll below:

Was the raid of Longo's home an abuse of federal power?

Was the DEC justified in euthanizing P'nut?

Should P'nut's death be a partisan issue?

Unlike Harris, Trump offers hope for the nation

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The election just a day away, and the contrast between Donald Trump's and Kamala Harris's campaigns is as stark as ever.

In the last few weeks, Trump has successfully demonstrated the incredible range of his campaign, from his McDonald's and garbage truck events to electric rallies like the recent one held at Madison Square Garden to impressive back-to-back interviews of both Trump and Vance on Joe Rogannot to mention the broad spectrum of people in his corner, such as Elon Musk, RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, and many more who bring top-class expertise to his campaign. For those on the "Trump train," it's hard not to feel hopeful for the future, something America has been dearly lacking the past four years.

On the other hand, Harris's campaign is built on hate. In her few interviews, she has offered little to no policy vision. She hasn't proposed anything unique to change our nation's current tide. Her campaign is simply based on hate against Trump, and we can expect nothing more than the continuation of the status quo.

Trump's Positivity

Donald Trump's campaign is defined by positivity and hope. The iconic slogan "Make America Great Again" promises a better tomorrow, and Trump brings the vision, expertise, and drive to make it possible. Despite being nearly twenty years Kamala Harris's senior, Trump seems to have infinitely more energy than she does. For the past four years, Trump has been constantly on the road, doing interviews, rallies, and political stunts while Harris has been noticeably absent for much of her campaign. Trump offers constructive solutions to the problems our country faces and promises to prioritize the American people. His campaign projects infectious positivity and hope in our nation's future. All reports from Trump's rallies indicate that the attendees are freedom-loving Americans, who are full of life and optimism. Even Elon Musk was seized by the excitement of the Trump campaign, literally jumping with joy when Trump invited him up on stage during his return to Butler, Pennsylvania.

Harris's Negativity

In stark contrast, Kamala Harris's campaign has been built on nothing but hatred towards Trump. As illustrated in the social experiment above, there's a big difference in how Harris supporters treat Trump supporters and vice versa. If you watch any of her interviews, Harris's word-salad answers inevitably shift to blaming Trump for the policy failures of her administration with Joe Biden. Her entire campaign hinges on the media successfully villainizing Trump. She is simply betting that people are going to vote for her simply because she isn't Trump. Though Trump has survived at least two assassination attempts, that hasn't stopped Harris from comparing the former president to Hitler. This anger and hate has permitted Harris's supporters, who, despite their rhetoric of "tolerance," are marked by their extreme intolerance for anyone who doesn't tow the party line.

Recent attacks on Trump prove how DESPERATE the Left really is

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Just in the last few weeks, Donald Trump's campaign has hit new heights. As the election draws near, the Trump campaign has had back-to-back successes and the energy is palpable.

Just to add fuel to the Democrats' fire, the polls are leaning in Trump's favor. Naturally, the Democrats are frantically playing damage control in an attempt to slow Trump's momentum, but they are scraping the bottom of the barrel of insults to throw at him. If you weren't convinced by the mainstream media's talking heads calling Trump a racist for the past eight years, it seems unlikely that you will suddenly become convinced now. The Left's final volley of insults against Trump and his supporters reveals just how bleak Kamala Harris's situation really is.

Calling Trump Hitler

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The mainstream media has been calling Donald Trump "Hitler" for nearly a decade now, and the American people are over it. Yet, just last week, Harris compared Trump to Hitler during her speech from the vice presidential mansion. She also called Trump a fascist outright during her ill-fated CNN town hall, but like the rest of the event, the insult fell flat. This is the same old, tired rhetoric, and it simply doesn't carry any weight anymore. If Trump was going to be a dictator, wouldn't he have done it during his first term?

MSNBC's Propaganda

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If the Vice President spewing dangerous rhetoric against a former president who has already had multiple assassination attempts made against him wasn't enough, MSNBC had to have a go. On Sunday, October 27th, Trump held a momentous rally in the famous Madison Square Garden in New York City, and the venue was overflowing with support for the former president. Instead of actually covering the event, MSNBC, in a shameful act of fear-mongering, compared the Trump rally to a pro-Nazi rally that was held in the same venue back in 1939. MSNBC played footage of the Trump rally alongside footage of the Nazi rally from 85 years ago, which many critics have called "inciting," given the history of political violence already present in this election.

Calling Trump Racist

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The very same Madison Square Garden rally caused another media outrage when famous "roast" comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made a scathing joke about Puerto Rico. While the joke was certainly offensive (as Glenn explained, that's the whole point of a "roast") and perhaps it was not the best of all choices to feature a joke that targeted a potentially crucial voter demographic, at the end of the day it was simply a joke. But the Left has long since abandoned the concepts of "fun" and "humor," and began the tired old cry of "Trump is a racist!" anew. However, calling Trump a racist has the same effect of calling him Hitler: no one but the bluest of the Democrats buys into that rhetoric.