{
    "href": "/post/2012/07/04/the-declaration-of-independence-annotated/",
    "relId": "2012/07/04/the-declaration-of-independence-annotated",
    "title": "The Declaration of Independence, Annotated",
    "author": "pmjones",
    "markup": "html",
    "tags": [
        {
            "href": "/tag/government/",
            "relId": "government",
            "title": "Government",
            "author": null,
            "created": null,
            "updated": [],
            "markup": "markdown"
        },
        {
            "href": "/tag/liberty/",
            "relId": "liberty",
            "title": "Liberty",
            "author": null,
            "created": null,
            "updated": [],
            "markup": "markdown"
        }
    ],
    "created": "2012-07-04 18:53:42 UTC",
    "updated": [
        "2012-07-04 18:53:42 UTC"
    ],
    "html": "<blockquote>\n<p>The assumption of natural rights expressed in the Declaration of Independence can be summed up by the following proposition:\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u0080\u009cfirst comes rights, then comes government.\u00e2\u0080\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 According to this view: (1) the rights of individuals do not originate with any government, but preexist its formation;\u00c2\u00a0 (2) The protection of these rights is the first duty of government; and (3) Even after government is formed, these rights provide a standard by which its performance is measured and, in extreme cases, its systemic failure to protect rights -- or its systematice violation of rights -- can justify its alteration or abolition; (4) At least some of these rights are so fundamental that they are \u00e2\u0080\u009cinalienable,\u00e2\u0080\u009d meaning they are so intimately connected to one\u00e2\u0080\u0099s nature as a human being that they cannot be transferred to another even if one consents to do so.\u00c2\u00a0 This is powerful stuff.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>Really, read the whole thing.  Great stuff.  Via <em><a href=\"http://www.volokh.com/2012/07/04/the-declaration-of-independence-annotated/\">The Volokh Conspiracy \u00c2\u00bb The Declaration of Independence Annotated</a></em>.</p>\n"
}