Vice President Kamala Harris is under fire for twisting the principles on which American identity is based into her own narrative.
In a Sunday speech she gave to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, she left out the part of the Declaration of Independence that established Americans’ right to life.
BREAKING: Kamala Harris omits the right to “Life” when quoting the Declaration of Independence in pro-Abortion Speech, says all Americans are “endowed with the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness” pic.twitter.com/O8V39cbtbk
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 22, 2023
Speaking to a pro-choice audience in Florida, the vice president stated that “we are here together because we collectively believe and know America is a promise.”
“It is a promise of freedom and liberty — not for some, but for all. A promise we made in the Declaration of Independence that we are each endowed with the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” she continued.
Originally, the declaration states that people are endowed with certain unalienable rights by God, among which are “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Considering the right to life was mentioned first in the formal declaration, critics were quick to notice her omission and called her out on it. For many, leaving out “life” was not a mistake but a deliberate sub due to the word’s association with the anti-abortion movement.
The intentional omission became even more apparent when Harris denounced Republican legislators for attempts to restrict abortion access. “How dare they!” she challenged.
“Can we truly be free if a woman cannot make decisions about her own body? Can we truly be free if the doctor cannot care for her patients? Can we truly be free if families cannot make intimate decisions about the course of their own life?” she asked.
Among conservatives who have criticized Harris for her error are Republican lawmakers. For Rep. Debby Lesko (R-AZ), the omission demonstrates the Democrat’s abandonment of America’s fundamental principles.
VP Harris neglected to mention LIFE when discussing the rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence during a speech on abortion.
The left is so committed to their radical abortion agenda that they have abandoned our fundamental principles. https://t.co/0HzZ7l2Qu9
— Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (@RepDLesko) January 25, 2023
Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), who found the twist “shameful,” stated that Harris “doesn’t get to rewrite the Declaration of Independence. It’s “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
This is shameful.
.@VP doesn't get to rewrite the Declaration of Independence. It's "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." https://t.co/vl8TS4aWKz
— Rep. Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) January 23, 2023
Rep. Mike Loychik (R-OH) approached the criticisms from a different angle as he wondered if the vice president had ever read the Declaration of Independence at all.
Has Kamala Harris ever actually read the Declaration of Independence?
— Rep. Mike Loychik (@MikeLoychik) January 23, 2023
When you have to edit the Declaration of Independence in order to avoid undermining your own position https://t.co/Du9KuUB0Ms
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) January 23, 2023
