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Natural rights, the foundation of liberty.
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Today I'd like to talk about a concept
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that sits quietly beneath the surface of American liberty
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yet forms the very foundation of it.
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That concept is natural rights.
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Natural rights are the freedoms that belong
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to every human being simply because they exist.
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They are not granted by governments,
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kings or institutions.
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They are considered inalienable,
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meaning they cannot be taken away or transferred.
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These rights exist before laws are written,
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before constitutions are drafted,
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and before nations are formed.
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The idea gained powerful expression
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in the 17th century through the work
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of philosophers like John Locke.
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Locke argued that human beings possess certain rights
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by nature, rights such as life, liberty,
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property, and the freedom of conscience.
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In his view, governments are not the source of these rights.
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Governments exist for one purpose to protect them.
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This idea became deeply influential
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among the thinkers who would later shape the United States.
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When the American colonies sought independence from England,
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leaders such as Thomas Jefferson
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drew directly from this philosophy.
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The result was the declaration of independence,
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a document that boldly stated that all men are created equal
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and endowed by their creator with certain
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Those words were not written lightly.
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They reflected centuries of philosophical debate
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and a profound belief that freedom does not originate
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from rulers or political systems.
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Instead, freedom originates with the individual.
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Over time, these ideas were further embedded
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in the American system through the Constitution
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and the Bill of Rights.
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These documents established a republic governed by law,
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but more importantly, they created safeguards
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designed to protect the individual from the abuse of power.
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What fascinates me about this doctrine
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is how clearly it distinguishes between individual rights
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and collectivism in every society groups inevitably form.
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Communities, governments, and institutions
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must exist to create order and cooperation.
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But collectivism, when taken too far,
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can shift authority away from the individual
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and into the hands of the group.
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When that happens, the group begins deciding
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what rights the individual may exercise,
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what property they may own, what ideas they may express,
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or how they may live their lives.
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Natural rights philosophy pushes back against that idea.
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It insists that individuals possess
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rights independent of the collective.
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That principle is not about political ideology.
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It is not conservative or liberal.
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It is simply the philosophical foundation
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upon which the American republic was built.
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At the same time, natural rights do not exist in isolation.
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They come with an important responsibility,
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one that was articulated clearly by Abraham Lincoln.
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Lincoln often emphasized that our freedoms extend
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only as far as they do not violate the freedoms of others.
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In other words, liberty must exist alongside restraint.
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My right to speak does not include the right
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to silence someone else.
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My right to property does not allow me
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to seize what belongs to another.
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True liberty requires a balance between personal freedom
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and respect for the freedom of others.
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This balance is where the rule of law becomes essential.
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The rule of law is not meant to control
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every aspect of human behavior.
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Instead, its purpose is to establish clear protections
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that ensure natural rights are preserved.
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Laws create boundaries that prevent power,
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whether governmental or social,
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from overwhelming the individual.
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The founders of the United States understood this deeply.
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They designed a system of government
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with checks, balances, and limitations,
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precisely because they feared the concentration of power.
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And despite the imperfections of our history
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because we have certainly made mistakes,
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this system has endured for more than two centuries.
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It has created a nation where people
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from every corner of the world continue to arrive,
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seeking opportunity, freedom, and self-determination.
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I've spoken with many friends
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who came to America from other lands.
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When you ask them why they came here,
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the answer is often very simple.
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They came because of the rights individuals possess
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in this country, that idea still matters today.
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Natural rights remind us that freedom
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is not something that governments create.
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It is something they are supposed to protect.
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And as citizens of a republic,
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preserving those rights requires vigilance,
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responsibility, and respect for one another.
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My hope is that these principles first
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discussed by philosophers centuries ago
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and later embedded in America's founding documents
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continue to guide us, that we remember
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why the Declaration of Independence was written,
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why the Constitution was drafted,
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and why the Bill of Rights exists.
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Because when those principles are honored,
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individuals flourish.
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And when individuals flourish, the republic remains strong.