The Rights You've Always Had…Even If You Didn't Know It
- Men are declared equal from birth and can't be made unequal through titles or special privileges. This means no more feudalism, dudes.
- Government is defined as the thing that's supposed to protect men's rights, specifically the right to be free, own stuff, and to live without fear of that freedom or stuff being taken.
- The concept of popular sovereignty is explained as the thing where the people get to choose their leaders and style of government and it happens to be the only option on the table.
- Liberty is defined as getting to do whatever the heck you want as long as you don't hurt anybody. So there's no limit to what you can do, as long as you aren't preventing anyone else from being all they can be too.
- Laws are explained as the things that keep people from taking their liberties too far—they're there to protect society. It is made clear that the government can't stop people from doing things, or force them to do things, unless first they pass a law about it.
- The definition of law is further clarified as something the people get to help create, mainly by electing representatives. Laws also must apply to all people equally because (see Article 1) people are equal except when they're not like in the case of really smart or talented people.
- Continuing on the theme of what laws are and aren't: people can't be arrested unless there's a law about it. Arresting people who haven't broken a law is a big, fat no-no, but if you're being arrested lawfully then you should suck it up and take it because that's just the right thing to do.
- Laws should also describe how to punish guilty people, but only officials of the government get to decide that, not just some random people who think they have a good idea.
- People are declared innocent until proven guilty, but if you have to arrest someone before guilt is proven, then you should be really nice and apologetic about it.
- Everyone is told that they shouldn't make people feel bad about their opinions or religion as long as they aren't preventing you from having your own opinions and religion.
- It's established that one of the most important rights of all is the freedom to say and write whatever you want. However, there may be consequences for what you say and write and these will be defined by laws.
- It is explained that protecting all these amazing rights that men have will require a military, but people should not fear the military because they're only here to protect your rights.
- It is also explained that in order to pay for all these laws and militaries and other things there are going to have to be some taxes, but again don't worry because the taxes should be taken from everyone (no exceptions) based on how much money they make.
- In case anyone is still concerned about the whole tax thing, it gets decided by your representatives, so you actually have a say in how much people pay because that's good government.
- Speaking of good government, it should be transparent allowing to people to see what it's doing all the time.
- A constitution is defined as the thing that makes sure laws are observed and explains what each of the branches of government will be responsible for.
- A clarification is made about owning stuff and how if the government wants to take away a person's stuff, they have to follow the laws to do so.