[Fawn]

as is necessary to keep that child alive, then we’re probably crossing the lines in terms of unconstitutionality

Then what's this stuff about 'Life', liberty....pursuit of happiness.

[Fawn]

The phrase is based on the writings of John Locke, who expressed a similar concept of "life, liberty, and estate (or property)". Locke said that "no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions."[1]

Written by Thomas Jefferson, the words in the Declaration were a departure from the orthodoxy of Locke. Locke's phrase was a list of property rights a government should guarantee its people; Jefferson's list, on the other hand, covers a much broader spectrum of rights, possibly including the guarantees of the Bill of Rights such as free speech and a fair trial. The change was not explained during Jefferson's life, so beyond this, one can only speculate about its meaning. This tripartite motto is comparable to "liberté, égalité, fraternité" (liberty, equality, fraternity) in France or "peace, order and good government" in Canada.[2]