Our founders got it right when they wrote in the Declaration of

Listen well, O children of the future, to the stirring words of Paul Ryan, whose voice calls us back to the profound wisdom of our nation’s origins: "Our founders got it right when they wrote in the Declaration of Independence that our rights come from nature and nature's God, not from government." These words echo with the weight of history, reminding us that the rights we hold dear are not mere privileges granted by the state, but are inherent in the very nature of our existence, bestowed upon us by a higher power, beyond the reach of any ruler or institution.

In the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers boldly proclaimed that the rights of the people—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—are not the creations of a government, but the gifts of nature and nature’s God. These are rights that transcend earthly authority, rights that are inalienable and cannot be taken away by any man, ruler, or governing body. This idea was revolutionary in its time, for it placed the sovereignty of the individual above the power of kings and emperors. The Founders understood that freedom and rights do not come from the laws of men, but from a higher source, and that any government that seeks to take away those rights is unjust.

Consider, O children, the courage and vision of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration. In a world where monarchies ruled with absolute power, Jefferson boldly declared that all men are created equal, and that their rights are not derived from the king, but from God and nature. This was not a new idea—it was rooted in the philosophy of John Locke and others who believed that the rights of individuals are not granted by governments, but are inherent to human nature. In this Declaration, the Founders set forth the idea that government’s role is not to give rights, but to protect those that already exist. This was a radical notion, a new way of thinking that would forever change the course of history.

The story of the American Revolution is one of extraordinary courage, of men and women willing to lay down their lives for the belief that they were entitled to their unalienable rights. The colonists rose against the greatest empire of their time, not simply because they sought independence, but because they believed they had a right to govern themselves, to live free from tyranny, and to make their own decisions. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and countless others fought not for a new system of power, but for the protection of the rights they already held by virtue of their humanity. Their struggle was not just a political one, but a moral one—an assertion that freedom comes from God and nature, not from the whims of a distant king.

So, O children, the lesson here is clear and powerful: rights are not given by governments; they are inherent in us all. Ryan's words remind us of the sacred wisdom of the Founders, who understood that the power of government is limited by the rights of the people. Liberty is not a gift from the state, but a birthright that must be protected by it. When a government grows too powerful and seeks to diminish the rights of the people, it becomes a force of oppression. It is not the government’s duty to bestow rights upon its citizens, but to protect the freedom that is already theirs. The Declaration of Independence teaches us that any government that ignores this principle becomes illegitimate.

In our own time, O children, we must remember the wisdom of the Founders and hold fast to the belief that our rights are not subject to the whims of government. We are not subjects of the state; we are individuals endowed with freedom by our creator. When we feel our rights being threatened or diminished, we must stand firm in the knowledge that we are free, and that no government has the power to take away what nature and nature’s God have given us. It is our duty to defend these rights, not just for ourselves, but for future generations.

Therefore, O children, let us live by the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence. Let us remember that freedom is not granted by rulers, but by our inherent dignity as human beings. Let us protect these rights, standing firm against any force that seeks to diminish them. In doing so, we honor the vision of the Founding Fathers, and the timeless truth that our rights are inalienable, derived from nature and nature’s God, and not from the power of any government.