At a rally in support of abortion access, Kamala Harris left to mention the right to life in her quote from the Declaration of Independence. She made her remarks in Tallahassee, Florida, on the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which granted women access to abortion nationwide. This is the first anniversary since the decision was overturned, allowing states to set their own abortion laws in June 2022.
What She Said
Vice President Harris said.
A promise we made in the Declaration of Independence, that we are each endowed with the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Be clear, these rights were not bestowed upon us, they belong to us as Americans [1].
What The Declaration Of Independence Actually Says
The full quote from the Declaration of Independence says,
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, [2]“
Some GOP lawmakers have suggested a federal ban on abortion in the past [3]. Harris also addressed this suggestion. She continued her speech by saying,
But let us ask, can we truly be free if a woman cannot make decisions about her own body [4]?
The issue of “choice” seems to be subject to change, Biden critics point out. For instance, the COVID vaccine was a matter dictated by the government and seemed to ignore “choice” when it concerned a matter other than abortion [5].
Notes:
- ^https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-omits-right-life-quoting-declaration-independence-abortion-speech (go back ↩)
- ^https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript (go back ↩)
- ^Quinn, M. (2022). GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham proposes nationwide 15-week abortion ban. CBS News. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lindsey-graham-abortion-ban-bill-nationwide (go back ↩)
- ^https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-omits-right-life-quoting-declaration-independence-abortion-speech (go back ↩)
- ^Carlson, T. (2021). Tucker Carlson: If you let Democrats force you to get the vaccine, they’ll have complete control forever. Fox News. Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-if-you-let-democrats-force-you-to-get-the-vaccine-theyll-have-complete-control-forever (go back ↩)