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WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...

This is from the Declaration of Independence. It is one of the founding principles of this country.

Again, the purpose of Government is to preserve the free exercise of our Rights. I entered the caveat "should" because in America today, rights are being denied and infringed constantly or being fabricated out of whole clothe. In short, I do not disagree with your points on the consolidation of power at all.

Moreoever, the Constitution does not grant us our rights, it merely enumerates the ones we already possess by virtue of our humanity.

The issue is very simple: you either believe that Rights are inherent and that a just government must preserve them, or that Rights are not inherent but merely "bequeathed" to us by the government. If you believe the former, then those Rights must be extended to ALL. If you believe the latter, then Rights can be withheld from any group, at any time, for any reason based on a determination of the Government (hence, supporting the States Rights argument concerning the South's position on the institution of slavery).

This is from the Declaration of Independence. It is one of the founding principles of this country.

That may well be, but it is not a governing document and does not carry the weight of law. Those who quote it as defense against anything might as well be reading from Mellville or Hemmingway.

Moreoever, the Constitution does not grant us our rights, it merely enumerates the ones we already possess by virtue of our humanity.

Agreed, if I slipped and said otherwise, my apologies (lashing own back).

The issue is very simple: you either believe that Rights are inherent and that a just government must preserve them, or that Rights are not inherent but merely "bequeathed" to us by the government.

The issue is much more complicated than you let on, otherwise we would be in a constant state of revolution against the governmnet. The notion that we cannot tolerate any infringement of our rights is a non-starter. The question, in reality, is, "How much can the government infringe our rights without consequence."

If you believe the former, then those Rights must be extended to ALL. If you believe the latter, then Rights can be withheld from any group, at any time, for any reason based on a determination of the Government (hence, supporting the States Rights argument concerning the South's position on the institution of slavery).

As a side note, call the IRS with the above and let me know how it works out for you. Clearly I have less right to my earnings than someone who makes <$25K does. Laws are passed all the time in favor of one group at the detriment of another (affirmative action, progressive taxes, yadda yadda).