.
MARK: HELLO, AMERICA.
WELCOME TO "LIFE, LIBERTY &
LEVIN."
AND I'M HERE WITH DR. LARRY
ARNN.
HOW ARE YOU, SIR?
>> VERY WELL, GREAT TO BE WITH
YOU.
MARK: RENOWNED PRESIDENT OF
HILLSDALE COLLEGE.
EXPERT ON MATTERS RELATED TO
THE CONSTITUTION, THE
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE,
CHURCHILL AND TODAY'S SHOW
WE'RE GOING TO DIVE DEEPLY INTO
THESE ISSUES.
LET'S START WITH THE
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
EVERYBODY KNOWS WE CELEBRATE
JULY 4th AS INDEPENDENCE DAY,
BUT LET'S READ PART OF THE
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND
MAYBE CAN YOU HELP EXPLAIN SOME
OF THESE WORDS TO US, BECAUSE
WE READ IT, GOES REALLY IN OUR
MOUTHS, OUT OUR EARS BUT THE
WORDS HAD MEANING.
FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE I READ, IT
THEY WERE VERY, VERY
METICULOUS, WEREN'T THEY, ABOUT
WHAT THEY PUT IN THE
DECLARATION?
>> MOSTLY ON THE MOTION OF JOHN
ADAMS THEY PICKED THOMAS
JEFFERSON WHO PROVED TO BE A
BEAUTIFUL WRITER OF PAMPHLETS
LEADING UP TO THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION, AND THEY WANTED
SOMEBODY WHO COULD WRITE IN AN
ELEVATED WAY AND A MOVING WAY.
MARK: AND THEY HAD VARIOUS
ITERATIONS SO THEY FINALIZED
IT.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT.
HE SAT AND WROTE IT IN A ROOM
BY HIMSELF, JULY 1st AND 2nd
AND THEY DEBATED IT AND VOTED
IT AND ALTERED IT IN SOME WAYS.
>> UH-HUH.
LET'S START AT BEGINNING.
WHEN IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN
EVENTS IT BECOMES NECESSARY FOR
ONE PEOPLE TO DISSOLVE THE
POLITICAL BANDS WHICH HAVE
CONNECTED THEM WITH ANOTHER,
AND TO ASSUME AMONG THE POWERS
OF THE EARTH, THE SEPARATE AND
EQUAL STATION TO WHICH THE LAWS
OF NATURE AND OF NATURE'S GOD
ENTITLEMENT, A DECENT RESPECT
TO THE OPINIONS OF MANKIND
REQUIRES THEY SHOULD DECLARE
THE CAUSES WHICH IMPEL THEM TO
THE SEPARATION.
HERE ARE THE WORDS I WANT TO
FOCUS ON WITH YOU, LAWS OF
NATURE AND OF NATURE'S GOD.
ARE THOSE IMPORTANT?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> WELL, THE DOCUMENT IS
UNPRECEDENTED, AND
UNPRECEDENTED FOR TWO REASONS.
ONE IS IT'S A LAW, IT'S A
POLITICAL ACT OF A PEOPLE,
PEOPLE FORMED BY THIS ACT.
AND YET IT STARTS OUT IN THE
WAY YOU SAID, RIGHT, SO THE
OPENING SENTENCE IS WHEN IN THE
COURSE, THAT MEANS ANY TIME,
ONE PEOPLE, THAT MEANS ANY
PEOPLE.
SO IT IS ETERNAL AND UNIVERSAL.
NOW THE LEGAL ACT THAT THEY
UNDERTAKE IS TO SEPARATE
THEMSELVES FROM THE STRONGEST
MAN ON EARTH.
THE KING OF ENGLAND.
AND THAT'S AN ACT OF WAR OR
TREASON, DEPENDING WHO WINS THE
WAR, AND THEY NEED SOME
STANDARD TO DO THAT BY.
AND SO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
HUMAN HISTORY IN THIS
PARTICULAR POLITICAL ACT, THEY
APPEAL TO LAWS THAT ARE ETERNAL
AND DIVINE.
THAT IS TO SAY, ABOVE ANY -- NO
ONE CAN EVER CHANGE THEM,
RIGHT?
THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE SET
IN NATURE.
AND SO THEY GO UP THAT HIGH IN
PART BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY HAVE
TO, AS YOU SEE IN THE VERY LAST
SENTENCE, PROBABLY TALKED ABOUT
THAT, IT STARTS WITH THIS
GRAND, SWEEPING UNIFORM AND IT
ENDS WITH A PARTICULAR PLEDGE
UNTO DEATH OF THE PEOPLE IN THE
ROOM, AND THEY FEEL LIKE THEY
NEED SOME JUSTIFICATION FOR
THIS, AND SO THEY DON'T SAY WE
WANT TO.
THEY SAY THIS IS AN ACT DONE IN
LIGHT OF THE GREAT LAWS THAT
ALWAYS PREVAIL.
MARK: SO, LAWS OF NATURE,
NATURE'S GOD, THEY'RE SAYING
THESE ARE LAWS THAT ARE NOT MAN
MADE.
THESE ARE LAWS THAT DON'T COME
FROM GOVERNMENT.
THESE ARE LAWS OF NATURE FROM
GOD YOU ARE BORN WITH THESE
LAWS.
FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S A MORAL
ORDER, THERE'S TRUTH, THERE ARE
LIES, THERE'S GOOD, THERE'S
EVIL, AND ARE THEY SAYING THAT
APPLIES TO ALL HUMAN BEINGS,
WHEREVER THEY ARE, YOU KNOW
RIGHT FROM WRONG IN THE UNITED
STATES, YOU KNOW RIGHT FROM
WRONG IN FRANCE.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
MARK: AND THESE AREN'T THINGS
THAT YOU GET FROM GOVERNMENT,
THESE ARE INATE.
ARISTOTLE, CICERO, ATHENIANS,
ROMANS AND SO FORTH.
THEY WERE READ BY THE FOUNDERS
OF THIS COUNTRY.
THEY KNEW WHO ARISTOTLE WAS,
THEY KNEW WHO CICERO WAS,
THAT'S IMPORTANT?
>> WHAT THE GREEKS DID AND THE
ROMANS FOLLOWED THEM, THEY WERE
THE FIRST ONES TO ASK QUESTIONS
THAT WOULD LEAD TO
COMPREHENSION OF THE LAWS OF
NATURE AND NATURE'S GOD.
THE QUESTIONS THAT SOCRATES
ASKED THE GREEK IS TI ESTE,
WHAT IS A THING IN ITS ESSENCE?
WHAT IS A HUMAN BEING.
YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND THIS
CONCEPTION OF HUMAN EQUALITY
THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT.
THAT MEANS THAT EVERYTHING THAT
IS A HUMAN BEING IS A HUMAN
BEING AND NOT ANOTHER KIND OF
BEING AND HAS TO BE TREATED
LIKE A HUMAN BEING.
AND SO AND THAT STARTS WITH
GREEK PHILOSOPHY.
MARK: HUMAN BEINGS ARE
DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHERING.
>> COURSES.
THE VERY FAMOUS LETTER,
IMPORTANT LETTER HE WROTE
BEFORE HE DIED, HE DIED ON THE
50th BIRTHDAY OF THE
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE,
THOMAS JEFFERSON, WRITES TO A
MAN NAMED WHITEMAN.
SOMEWHERE NOT BORN WITH SADDLES
ON THEIR BACKS, NOR OTHERS
BOOTED AND SPURRED THEM TO RIDE
THEM BY THE GRACE OF GOD.
MEN CANNOT BE RULED THE WAY
HORSES CAN BE RULED, BECAUSE
THEY'RE NOT THE SAME THING, AND
THE LAWS OF NATURE, NATURE IS A
VERY RICH WORD, AND IT MEANS
THAT EACH KIND OF THING HAS AN
ESSENCE OF ITS OWN, IT IS
ENTITLED TO PROTECTION AND THE
RIGHTS THAT GO WITH THAT
ESSENCE.
MARK: THIS IS CRUCIALLY
IMPORTANT, ISN'T IT?
WE'RE REALLY THE ONLY COUNTRY
THAT WAS FOUNDED ON THESE
IDEAS, ON THESE PRINCIPLES, ON
THESE TRUISMS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, JOHN LOCK,
WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT
PHILOSOPHER ON THE
REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD, CORRECT?
PEOPLE SAID TO HIM AS HE WROTE
HIS SECOND TREATISE ON
GOVERNMENT.
THIS IS ALL WELL AND GOOD, BUT
WHERE DOES THIS EXIST?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
MARK: WHAT DO YOU SAY?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
MARK: AMERICA.
THAT'S THE PLACE.
WHY IS JOHN LOCK SO IMPORTANT?
>> THERE IS A REF POLLUTION
THAT JOHN LOCK THAT IS SO
IMPORTANT THAT GOES ALONG WITH
THE BIRTH OF UNIVERSAL
MONOTHEISM.
MARK: THAT IS UNIVERSAL
MONOTHEISM?
>> WELL, IT STARTS WITH THE
JEWS AND THE CHRISTIANS.
SO IF YOU JUST THINK OF
ABRAHAM'S GOD'S COVENANT WITH
ABRAHAM, I WILL BE YOUR GOD,
AND YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE, AND
THIS WILL BE A BLESSING TO ALL
THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH.
YOU KNOW, THE JEWS HAVE A HARD
DEAL.
AS YOU KNOW, RIGHT?
BECAUSE THEY'RE THE CHOSEN
PEOPLE.
TURNS OUT THAT'S HARD DUTY, YOU
KNOW?
LOT GOES WRONG WHEN YOU'RE THE
CHOSEN PEOPLE AND MUCH IS
EXPECTED OF YOU, RIGHT?
BUT ONCE YOU'VE GOT THAT KIND
OF IDEA THAT THERE IS ONE GOD
FOR EVERY HUMAN BEING AND
CHRISTIANITY IS VERY RADICAL
ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE JESUS, YOU
KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GOD, THE PATH
TO SALVATION IS THROUGH ME, AND
MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS
WORLD.
THAT MEANS JUDAISM IS A
UNIVERSAL RELIGION, AND IT'S A
POLITICAL RELIGION, IT GIVES A
LAW, BUT IT ONLY GIVES THE LAWS
TO THE JEWS, SEE?
THEY'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO
BEAR TO BURDEN, RIGHT?
WHEREAS, IN CHRISTIANITY, THERE
ARE NO COURTS, JUDGES, NO
LEGISLATURES APPOINTED, SO YOU
STILL HAVE GOVERNMENT, YOU HAVE
TO HAVE GOVERNMENT, PEOPLE ARE
MADE IN THEIR NATURE TO LIVE
UNDER LAW, BUT NOW THERE HAS TO
BE A LIMIT ON THE LAW.
THE LAW CAN'T MESS WITH YOUR
RELIGION OR YOUR CONSCIENCE
MORE GENERALLY.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO EXERCISE
YOUR RELIGION AS YOU WISH, AND
JOHN LOCK MORE THAN ANYBODY
ELSE, AND ALONG WITH OTHERS,
LAID OUT THE GROUND OF HOW
GOVERNMENT WOULD WORK LIKE THAT
NOW, WHICH IS NOT THE WAY IT
WORKED IN THE ANCIENT WORLD.
SO THEY ARE AWARE OF ALL THIS
IN THE REVOLUTION, AND THEY
TAKE THAT IDEA, AND SEE, THE
FIRST PLACE ON EARTH THAT
ACHIEVED, THE FIRST CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OUTSIDE ISRAEL TO
WRITE A LETTER TO SOME JEWS
ADDRESSING THEM AS EQUAL
CITIZENS WAS GEORGE WASHINGTON.
WE PUT A PASSAGE FROM THAT.
HIS LETTER AS PRESIDENT TO THE
HEBREW CONGREGATION IN NEWPORT,
RHODE ISLAND.
WE PUT A PASSAGE ON THAT ON OUR
CHRISTMAS CARD AT HILLSDALE
COLLEGE EVERY YEAR, IT'S VERY
BEAUTIFUL, RIGHT?
SO WE GET FREEDOM OF RELIGION
ESTABLISHED NOT -- HE SAYS
WASHINGTON SAYS TO THE JEWS, IT
IS NOW NO MORE THAT WE SPEAK OF
RELIGIOUS TOLERATION AS IF IT
WERE THE INDULGENCE OF SOME
THAT OTHERS ENJOY THEIR
INHERENT NATURAL RIGHTS.
SEE?
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A NATION LIKE
THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE
FREEDOM OF RELIGION.
MARK: SO YOU HAVE A NATION THAT
IS FOUNDED ON THE NOTION OF
REALLY INDIVIDUAL SOVEREIGNTY
IN MANY RESPECTS.
RESPECT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL.
AT BIRTH, CERTAIN RIGHTS AT
BIRTH, THAT ARE RECOGNIZED IN
THE DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE.
NATURAL LAW.
A GIVEN ETERNAL MORAL ORDER,
LIKE THE GOLDEN RULE OR WHAT
HAVE YOU.
IT IS BECAUSE IT IS, AND WE
HAVE THIS DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE WHERE THESE MEN
COME TOGETHER, AND REALLY FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN MAN KIND,
PROCLAIM THIS.
NOW THEY ALSO SAY IN THE
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, WE
HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF
EVIDENT THAT ALL MEN ARE
CREATED EQUAL, ENDOWED BY THEIR
CRATER WITH CERTAIN INALIENABLE
RIGHTS, TALKING ABOUT GOD, THE
CREATOR, AND THE DIVINE,
UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, SELF
EVIDENT.
ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU ARE TALKING
ABOUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
NATURAL LAW?
WHAT ARE THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS
AND WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY
CREATED EQUAL?
>> IT'S A PRECEPT OF THE
NATURAL LAW THAT ALL MEN ARE
CREATED EQUAL.
AND IN ONE WAY THEY TOTALOLOGY.
SAYING THE SAME THING TWICE.
IF YOU LOOK AT A BUNCH OF HUMAN
BEING, THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT.
SOMEWHERE TALL, SOMEWHERE
SHORT.
SOMEWHERE MODERATE PEOPLE, SOME
PEOPLE ARE LIKE YOU AND ME, BUT
THEY'RE DIFFERENT, RIGHT?
BUT THEY'RE EQUAL IN THIS
RESPECT.
I LIKE TO SAY SIT IN A ROOM
WITH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE, AND
SOMEBODY REALLY BIG WALKS IN,
AND SOMEBODY REALLY SMALL
WALKS, IN YOU MIGHT KNOW THE
DIFFERENCE.
IF SOMEBODY LEADS A PIG IN ON A
LEASH, THAT'S A DIFFERENT
THING, IT'S NOT THE SAME THING
ANYMORE, RIGHT?
IT JUST MEANS AND JUST THINK OF
THE SUBTEXT, RIGHT, THEY'RE
WRITING THIS TO GEORGE III AS
THE REPRESENTATIVE OF SOVEREIGN
OF THE BRITISH NATION.
YOU'RE JUST LIKE US.
YOU MAY NOT RULE US, EXCEPT BY
OUR CONSENT.
IN 187 -- 1774, JEFFERSON WROTE
THE VERY BEAUTIFUL SUMMARY VIEW
OF THE RIGHTS OF BRITISH NORTH
AMERICA.
IN THE FINAL PARAGRAPH HE
BEGINS BY ADDRESSING THE KING,
LET THOSE FLATTER WHO FEAR, IT
IS NOT AN AMERICAN ART.
ISN'T THAT GREAT?
MARK: THESE MEN WHO DO THIS,
WHO ARE WELL READ, ENORMOUSLY
ARTICULATE, SPREADING THE WORD,
AND THEY MEET IN PHILADELPHIA