"Justice and Liberality"

Have you ever realized how liberal a document is our Declaration of Independence.
"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..." This same spirit of liberalism was expressed in the personal statement of the first President George Washington: "As mankind become more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of the civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations in examples of justice and liberality."

O course, the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were originally only granted to white male landowners. But, over the years, our liberality has been extended to include more of our citizens.

As we are now engaged in a conversation as to whether health care should, or should not, be extended to all our citizens, the liberal foundation on which this nation was built is being challenged. That first unalienable right of "life" is being threatened, as millions of our citizens have no health insurance. At present we see the classical struggle between the interests of business (insurance companies, health care industry, Pharmaceuticals), and those who fear the loss of a privileged position as the insured majority, against those whose lives are in jeopardy.
Consider that the signers of the Declaration of Independence did not list as an unalienable right, wealth, privilege, or dominance.

The wealthy, the privileged, and those who are in position to dominate our social order are not likely to be counted as the liberators among us. Such as these will have a great investment in the status quo. "Justice and liberality" will not be high on their agenda. So if America is to be "among the foremost nations in examples of justice and liberality", (as George Washington hoped), we must actively encourage expanding the protections of our civil government in ways like universal health care.