[Ohioan]

The founders believed we have God given (not contract given) rights that no government may violate and if they do so they become tyrants who have lost their right to rule and can be opposed by legitimate leaders.

That is precisely right. The compact concept is the basis of Government, not the basis of the rights that Government is supposed to secure.

The fact that the founding fathers accepted Locke's view that Government is a social compact, does not mean that they endorsed everything he wrote, or even considered much of what he wrote as relevant. The basic concept, not the author or his treatment of related topics, is the point. The concept in our Declaration of Independence has nothing to do with hero worship, or endorsement of any social view not discussed.

For the full text of what the Declaration actually says, see Declaration Of Independence.

William Flax

[Princeliberty]

To be sure the Social Compact was the basis
for the founding of the federal government.

Again, the founding of he Nation and
the founding of the Federal government
are two different things. Today
we tend to think of them as the same
event and that is part of really
bad thinking. Just as the liberals
believe we receive rights form
the government.