This week President Barack Obama made a Proclamation. This proclamation declared a day and week to celebrate the fundamental rights of humankind. There is good in his proclamation. It is an admirable thing to honour and celebrate men’s freedom. But the words of his speech rather dilute the ideals of freedom upon which this country was founded. And, this proclamation also somewhat turns the national celebration of our Bill of Rights into a global celebration by joining it together with the Human Rights Week which is for the celebration of the rights of all people everywhere. This subtle change of emphasis is a concern to me. The rights of others are important, but we need to remember our heritage. Our Forefathers fought the revolution to make America a free country, not to free the world. And why is only one day set apart for our national celebration, yet a whole week is set apart by our American President for a celebration of human rights globally?
I copied the text of this proclamation from the official White House website so it could be examined more closely. Here are the words as copied from the above-mentioned website:
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
December 09, 2009
Presidential Proclamation--Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights Week
A PROCLAMATION
More than 60 years ago, the United Nations General Assembly approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, declaring the "inherent dignity" and "equal and inalienable rights" of all human beings as the "foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world." This self-evident truth guides us today. Although every country and culture is unique, certain rights are universal: the freedom of people -- including women and ethnic and religious minorities -- to live as they choose, speak their minds, organize peacefully and have a say in how they are governed, with confidence in the rule of law. History shows that countries that protect these rights are ultimately more stable, secure, and successful.
In the United States, these fundamental rights are the core of our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights. They are the values that define us as a people, the ideals that challenge us to perfect our union, and the liberties that generations of Americans have fought to preserve at home and abroad. Indeed, fidelity to our fundamental values is one of America's greatest strengths and the reason we stand in solidarity with those who seek these rights, wherever they live.
Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights Week must be our call to action. As Americans, we must keep striving to live up to our founding ideals. As a Nation, the United States will always side with the innocent whose rights are denied, the oppressed who yearn for equality, and all those around the world who strive for freedom. As members of what President Franklin Roosevelt called "the human community," we will never waver in our pursuit of the rights, dignity, and security of every human being.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 10, 2009, as Human Rights Day; December 15, 2009, as Bill of Rights Day; and the week beginning December 10, 2009, as Human Rights Week. I call upon the people of the United States to mark these observances with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-proclamation-human-rights-day-bill-rights-day-and-human-rights-week
Paragraphs 1 and 2
More than 60 years ago, the United Nations General Assembly approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, declaring the "inherent dignity" and "equal and inalienable rights" of all human beings as the "foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world." This self-evident truth guides us today. Although every country and culture is unique, certain rights are universal: the freedom of people -- including women and ethnic and religious minorities -- to live as they choose, speak their minds, organize peacefully and have a say in how they are governed, with confidence in the rule of law. History shows that countries that protect these rights are ultimately more stable, secure, and successful.
In the United States, these fundamental rights are the core of our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights. They are the values that define us as a people, the ideals that challenge us to perfect our union, and the liberties that generations of Americans have fought to preserve at home and abroad. Indeed, fidelity to our fundamental values is one of America's greatest strengths and the reason we stand in solidarity with those who seek these rights, wherever they live.
President Obama makes reference to a declaration made by the United Nations more than 60 years ago. This declaration describes freedoms that every man, woman, and child ought to enjoy. He says that “the ‘inherent dignity’ and ‘equal and inalienable rights’ of all human beings” are “the ‘foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.’” President Obama says that the “fundamental rights” described in that declaration of the United Nations are the “core of our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights.” Is this correct? Look carefully at the words.
The UN document says that people have “inherent dignity” and also the above-mentioned rights. President Obama makes no mention here of what our Founding Fathers say is the Source of these inalienable rights. The Declaration of Independence says that people “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” If the Creator is left out of the picture, the so-called rights of the people are not stable and secure. “Inherent dignity” and “equal and inalienable rights” can never build the “foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” There is no freedom or justice or peace apart from God, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ.
President Obama praises the UN declaration and says that people should have the right to “organize peacefully” and “have a say in how they are governed.” But are these the rights guaranteed to Americans by our Constitution? The first amendment to our Constitution guarantees our right to “peaceably assemble.” There is a difference in “organizing peacefully” and “assembling peaceably.” According to Riverside Webster’s II Dictionary, revised edition, © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company, “organize” means “to arrange or to assemble into an orderly, structured whole; to give a coherent form to; to arrange by coordinating and planning.” “Assemble” means “to bring or come together as a group; to put together the parts of.”
There is a subtle difference between these two words. “Organizing” involves bringing people or objects or thoughts together in an orderly, structured whole. It involves careful coordinating and planning. It is somewhat more complex than assembling. Also, it may not include a large number of people. I can organize without getting together with other people. The Constitution guarantees our right to assemble together, even in an impromptu way, for worship or for fun or for fellowship or for work. Don’t let the government rob you of your right to peaceably assemble with other people.
President Obama says that people's right to “have a say in how they are governed” should be preserved. Is this the foundation upon which America was built? Were the people given “a say” in how they were governed? No. The people were to determine the government. The government is of the people, by the people, for the people. As Red Skelton put it, it is “from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.” Our Forefathers taught that the right form of government had the leaders “deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” (Declaration of Independence) That does not mean the people make all the laws and government has no power. It means that the leaders are elected by the people, represent the people, and can be chosen or deposed in an orderly, lawful manner by the people if the leaders abuse their powers. Our Declaration of Independence not only gives us “a say” in how we are governed. It gives us the responsibility to hold our leaders accountable for how they govern. We were not given a democracy. We were given a Republic, and it will only remain a republic if we can keep it.
Paragraphs 3 and 4
Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights Week must be our call to action. As Americans, we must keep striving to live up to our founding ideals. As a Nation, the United States will always side with the innocent whose rights are denied, the oppressed who yearn for equality, and all those around the world who strive for freedom. As members of what President Franklin Roosevelt called "the human community," we will never waver in our pursuit of the rights, dignity, and security of every human being.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 10, 2009, as Human Rights Day; December 15, 2009, as Bill of Rights Day; and the week beginning December 10, 2009, as Human Rights Week. I call upon the people of the United States to mark these observances with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
President Obama urges Americans to live up to our founding ideals. That is a good thing. But our founding ideals went much further than declaring the rights, dignity, and security of every human being. Our founding ideals had their origins in the acknowledging of the laws of nature and of nature’s God, in the acknowledging of our Creator as the author of our unalienable rights. The very first amendment to the Constitution guarantees that Congress shall make no law prohibiting our free exercise of religion or abridging our freedom of speech or of the press. Let us start with these. When men’s hearts fear and honour and obey their Creator, the rest of the rights of humankind will fall into place. Without an acknowledgement of the God who made us and His control over our lives and over His creation, no rights or liberty shall be preserved to any people.
May God help us!