From Alan Keyes on the Issues:
On the source of our rights
We have forgotten the principle that our rights come from God and must be exercised with respect for the existence and authority of God. . . .
You can't have it both ways. Either our rights come from God, as our Declaration of Independence says, or they come from human choice. If they come from human choice, then our whole way of life is meaningless, it has no foundation.
On the role of government
All human beings are created equal. They need no title or qualification beyond their own simple humanity in order to command respect for their intrinsic human dignity, their "unalienable rights."
The purpose of government is to secure these rights, and no government is just or legitimate if it systematically violates them.
http://www.keyes2004.com/issues2.php
We can agree that States do not have the power to ignore the Constitution on basic individual rights.
Keyes often gives the impression, [mostly in the heat of his speeches],
that he thinks otherwise.
This confuses some of his supporters into thinking he advocates State controls over some of our unenumerated rights.
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Jim Robinson wrote:
From Alan Keyes on the Issues:
"We have forgotten the principle that our rights come from God and must be exercised with respect for the existence and authority of God."
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Yep, there it is, in his own words, -- he gives the impression to some folks that our rights, -- "must be exercised with respect for the existence and authority of God."
This opinion is fine with me, as I realise that Keyes is not suggesting that I ~must~ obey his vision of what our rights are.
He, and I, and most here can agree that we hold a pretty common Constitutional view on what our basic rights to life, liberty, or property include.
The devils in those details though. And when Keyes gets fired up in debate, those devils come out, much to often, imo.
That's the whole thing.
Why is Alan the only candidate who can bring himself to say this?