STAND

The Five Pillars of Freedom & Prosperity

The pillars of American prosperity can all be found in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. It is critical that all Americans understand that the Pillars describe the relationship of liberty and authority that individuals have with each other and with their government. Any action by government not in keeping with the Five Pillars should not be tolorated by free citizens.

1. “All Men Are Created Equal”

2. We are “endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Our rights do not come from the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence or any human invention. They are rights that God has granted all men. The founding documents did do something unique and powerful by recognizing that these rights came from God and then creating an effective mechanism to protect those rights.

3. “To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.” The main and crucial function of government is to ensure that individuals can exercise their unalienable rights. The concept of limited government is rooted in this key pillar.

4. “Government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed.” Government cannot grant itself powers without the consent of the citizens, nor can citizens grant goverment power that they do not individually posess. It is unjust to use government to obtain from your neighbor by force of law, what you have no right to obtain from them on your own.

5. Whenever any Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.