Simon said this—
You also quoted the famous line: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...”
What do you think this means? Does it mean that all people are identical? That all people can achieve the same things?
What do I think it means??? There’s no “think” about it. It’s crystal clear. Here’s the entire passage by Jefferson:
“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.”
It says NOTHING about people being identical. It’s not about entitlement, but rather getting a fair shot at the American dream if you’re willing to work hard and play by the rules. Don’t make excuses, just man-up and work hard. All men should have THAT opportunity. The opportunity to make something of themselves. NOT the opportunity to be HAPPY, rather the opportunity to PURSUE happiness. All men stand on equal footing in pursuit of that goal.
Take my grandfather for example. He came home from WW2 minus his right leg. Thanks to the GI Bill, he was able to attend college and eventually open his own business. Of course he wasn’t “identical” to his classmates, but he was given the chance to compete and the OPPORTUNITY to succeed in life as a man on equal footing to any other man. And succeed he did.
You ask me whether I think “all people can achieve the same things?” I don’t where you came up with that, though it should be pretty obvious from the words of Jefferson, and from my late grandfather’s story, that all mean should have the opportunity to prove themselves and PURSUE their goals. Whether they actually REACH those goals, is ultimately up to them.