These are the natural human rights that Thomas Jefferson thought most worthy of mention in the the document that justified our rebellion against the tyranny of the British government of King George III in 1776. They were well understood and well appreciated by the people of the 13 colonies that formed the core of the United States of America. How is it that they are so poorly understood and appreciated today? There are many reasons, too many to catalog in a single post. I would like to focus here on their meaning and significance.

The title of this reflection is, in part, inspired by what Wikipedia refers to as "a feat of smooth and ruthless efficiency", the historic "double play" action of infield basemen of the 1906-1910 Chicago Cubs that also inspired a short poem, entitled "Baseball's Sad Lexicon," also known as "Tinker to Evers to Chance", by Franklin P. Adams. (See Baseball's Sad Lexicon.)

A political cartoon by Steve Kelly (see Steve Kelly at Creator's Syndicate) on October 19 (to be posted on Halloween) brilliantly captured our current political climate. I'll leave it to my readers to puzzle out its full significance...

Although I have yet to take much interest in the debates, I've gotten the impression the Democratic candidates this year are engaged in a bidding war. Bright, shiny voting blocks are up for bid. Which candidate will promise the most free stuff? Will any of these voting blocks consider the deep questions of funding, or will they just be impressed by all the Monopoly money on the table?