The Quality Of Life

“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.” -The Declaration of Independence-July 4, 1776.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” -The Preamble of The Constitution of the United States of America.

Much has been made of a slogan the Republican Fundamentalists are fond of using, The Right to Life. Yet, the Republicans seem to believe that they have the right to also decide when it can end. The Death Penalty under their criteria can be instituted to those who somehow lose their Right. It is also acceptable to launch preemptive strikes against other countries that do not pose a real threat against the sovereignty of The United States, if one imagines a threat such as that in Iraq.

We hold that the mere existence of Life without Quality of Living is an empty shell. We hold that the Quality of Life is an unalienable Right that must and should include Liberty and its Blessings as defined in our Constitution; adequate minimum wages; affordable healthcare; guarantees of due process of law; the separation of Church and State to better enable Freedom of Religion; access to quality education, guarantees that if we fight a war our troops will have adequate armor and our veterans will get the respect and benefits that they deserve; respect and healthcare for our disabled and aged in Social Security; the guarantees of rights and responsibilities to all our citizens. We further believe that the Death Penalty is something that should be decided by the legal process and a judge and jury in court and based on special circumstances, not a political slogan or exercise.

We hold as inviolate the relationship between a patient and their doctor, not between an insurance company and a drug manufacturer, just as we hold as inviolate the relationship between the clergy and their ministry, and between an attorney and their client. They are all an essential part of the free and just exercises of Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness as contained in The Constitution.

We realize this is asking for some strong opinions, but we personally feel that the merging of diverse cultures has been the inspiration and strength that has kept America strong and vibrant. Our diversity has made the whole far greater and richer than its individual parts. That is why our Statue of Liberty has the following inscription: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuses of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempt-tost to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

-Thomas P Love