ROOSEVELT'S "SECOND BILL OF RIGHTS"

Some may be aware of FDR's presented during his State of the Union Address on January 11, 1944. The Declaration is simple and easily understood, yet still has power and directly addresses many of the issues discussed here. The Declaration can be summarized in five points:

Employment, with a living wage,
Freedom from unfair competition and monopolies,
Housing,
Medical care,
Education, and,
Social security


Excerpt from President Roosevelt's January 11, 1944 message to the Congress of the United States on the State of the Union:

“It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth—is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.

This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.

As our nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.

We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.” People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our citizens.

For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world."

THUS:

Education to the PhD level should be free to the qualified.

The economic safety net destroyed by Reagan and Clinton should be repaired and strengthened.

Medical care is a right and everyone should be covered equally.

Everyone has a right to adequate housing. I agree with the statement so far that there should be an IMMEDIATE freeze on foreclosures and programs developed to keep families in their homes. Many foreclosed homes are sitting empty and some have been demolished. Every effort should be made to return evicted families to these homes. This is an urgent issue.

The power of large corporations, many monopolies, must end, and that includes purchasing and controlling elected officials and government in general. As it is we have no democracy.

Farming has, like many family businesses, been overrun by megacorporations. Return the land to the people who love it.

Everyone should receive a LIVING wage!!

Finally, and most important, work with a living wage should be available to all Americans.

I agree with most of the Declaration points so far, and 16 should be another urgent action item. "Immediate reenactment of the Glass-Steagall Act and increased regulation of Wall Street and the financial industry by the SEC, FINRA and the other financial regulators, and the commencement of a Justice Department criminal investigations into the Securities and Banking industries practices that led to the collapse of markets, $700 billion bail-out, and financial firm failures in 2007-2008."

Henry Kielarowski
San Francisco

Agreed, we need all of these rights preserved. I've been suggesting merging the universal declaration of human rights with our constitution. It includes most of what you posted here and a few others in addition to all the rights already enumerated in the US constitution.

Yes, the Universal Declaration was adopted by the United Nations in 1948. The United States was a signatory. We, therefore, should be implementing these rights right now:) I support the UN but many, at least in the US, including vocal wingnuts, would position the imposition of UN "rules" as a "foreign takeover." That we have signed the UN document is immaterial. Most Americans don't know anything about it. The UN document is in part based on FDR's and I think this "Bill of Rights" would resonate more with the American psyche. In my humble opinion.