Previous Notice and The Declaration of Independence W hat are the S imilarities ? By Dorothy L. Gordon, PRP
The Declaration of Independence is a document adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, authored primarily by Thomas Jefferson, with contributions of a committee of four other members appointed by the Continental Congress. Importantly, this historical and revered document asserts the principles that our government and identity as Americans, such as basic rights, are conceptually based upon. There are some basic rights similarities between the Declaration of Independence and a member’s rights of an assembly or organization. The similarities are as follows. First, the Declaration of Independence shares similarities to a member’s rights of an assembly or organization, as both are based on principles of rights and governance. Both the Declaration of Independence and a member’s rights of an organization highlight the importance of individual
rights. The Declaration of Independence asserts the unalienable rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, while a member’s rights of an assembly or organization emphasize the “right to attend meetings, to make motions, speak in debate, and to vote”. See RONR (12th ed.) 1:4. Second, both promote principles of equality and fairness. The government or organization seeks to ensure the basic rights of all individuals are treated equally, and a member’s rights in an assembly ensure all members are treated equally and able to participate in the organization’s entire decisionmaking process. And third, both the Declaration of Independence and a member’s rights of an assembly or organization adhere to principles of democratic participation by having a say in how to be governed. Members of an assembly or organization ensure that decisions are made within a structured framework for making motions, debate, and voting. www.parliamentarians.org
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