"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 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 (p. 59)."

This quote from the Declaration of Independence is say that based on the laws of nature, there are certain right freedoms we ought to be guaranteed in order to function to out full potential as human beings. To me the most obvious is the right to life. Being alive must come before being free or being happy. This is not only just but also practical for allowing a society to progress and flourish. People will work together towards a common goal much better if they feel safe, secure, free and happy. It makes it so that people want to work together. This section also explains that it is the roll of government to protect the people and ensure that these rights remain in tact. The will of the government of the will of the people should be one in the same. The government protects these because the people say they exist. The third part of this quote talks about the peoples duty to protect themselves and each other from corruption of the government. When it has become clear that government is acting against the will of the people, it is the peoples' responsibility to overthrow it and put a new one in its place. Even if rights are god given or natural, however u want to put it, it is still possible for someone else to try and take it away. The only way we can call them rights is we are willing to fight for their preservation.

I picked this quote because it directly relates to what Paine said about god given rights and how they can be hindered by allowing ourselves to be governed by laws created before we were alive, in a time after they are no longer as relevant if relevant at all. If the needs of the people are always changing like Paine explains then the government must also be prepared to change with them. This is one reason we have the duty to participate in out own government. The Declaration acknowledges that god given rights exist and talks about our duty to overthrow a government that no longer has out best interests at heart. Paine talks about why those god given rights serve such a vital purpose to our quality of life and why it is sometimes necessary to force the government to change with the times.