In a hilarious show of cluelessness, Democratic Virginia Senator Tim Kaine denied the existence of God-given rights, the primary principle in the Declaration of Independence, during a Senate Foreign Relations nomination hearing on Wednesday.
“The notion that rights don’t come from laws and don’t come from the government, but come from the Creator, that’s what the Iranian government believes,” Kaine said while attacking Trump’s nominee for Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Riley Barnes.
The opening words of the Declaration of Independence, however, state that the separation of America from Britain is justified by the notion that we as humans have God-given, unalienable rights and that a new government founded on these principles is necessary.
From the Declaration of Independence:
“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, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
This is the founding principle that the entire Constitution is based on, creating a government that derives its authority from the people, not the government.
But Kaine says this is an Iranian belief, and because they don’t believe life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are God-given, the notion of God-given rights in the United States is “extremely troubling.”
Instead, like all Democrats, Kaine believes that basic human rights can only come from the government.
WATCH:
Kaine: The notion that rights don’t come from laws and don’t come from the government, but come from the Creator, that’s what the Iranian government believes. It’s a theocratic regime that bases its rule on Shia law and targets Sunnis, Bahá’ís, Jews, Christians and other religious minorities. And they do it because they believe that they understand what natural rights are from their Creator. So the statement that our rights do not come from our laws or our governments is extremely troubling.
Moments later, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) responded with a history lesson on Kaine’s “disturbing” comments.
“I have to say, it is stunning to me that the principle that God has given us natural rights is now deemed by Democrats some radical and dangerous notion,” Cruz shouted.
He then put Kaine’s words in context, using the Democrats’ favored policy of slavery, which was legally allowed by the government before Republicans applied the principles outlined in the Declaration.
Cruz: I wish Senator Kaine was still here. Senator Kaine and I were elected together 13 years ago. He is a friend. I would actually encourage observers to go back and listen to what Senator Kaine said because I have to say, it, I think, was disturbing and showed much of where today’s Democrat Party has gone wrong. So, Senator Kaine said in this hearing that he found it a radical and dangerous notion that you would say our rights came from God and not from government. I just walked into the hearing as he was saying that, and I almost fell out of my chair because that radical and dangerous notion in his words is literally the founding principle upon which the United States of America was created. And if you do not believe me, and you made reference to this, Mr. Barnes, then you can believe perhaps the most prominent Virginian to ever serve, Thomas Jefferson, who wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator.” Not by government, not by the Democratic National Committee, but by God, with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I have to say, it is stunning to me that the principle that God has given us natural rights is now deemed by Democrats some radical and dangerous notion. Mr. Jefferson was right when he wrote those words. Government exists to protect those rights, but slavery was not okay when US law allowed it. It was wrong, then it is wrong now, it is always wrong.
The post What? Dem Senator Tim Kaine Says Founding Principle of the United States and Declaration of Independence is “Extremely Troubling” – “That’s What the Iranian Government Believes” – Ted Cruz SCHOOLS Him (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.