The Constitution Doesn’t Grant Us Freedoms – It Prohibits Government from Taking Them

Dr. Edwin Feulner

“The Constitution doesn’t grant us freedoms; it prohibits government from taking them. Nearly all of us, at one time or another, refer to our ‘constitutional right to free speech.’ While this common phrase may seem harmless, it points to a larger misunderstanding of where our rights come from — a misunderstanding that undermines many of our most fundamental policy debates. The fact is, the U.S. Constitution protects our God-given rights from government. The government does not (as the phrase above implies) grant those rights to us as citizens. This is perhaps the most widely misunderstood aspect of our system of government.”— Ed Feulner, is the founder and former president (1977-2013) of The Heritage Foundation.

On January 18, 1989 President Reagan conferred the Presidential Citizens Medal on Dr. F as “a leader of the conservative movement.” The citation continues: “By building an organization dedicated to ideas and their consequences, he has helped to shape the policy of our Government. His has been a voice of reason and values in service to his country and the cause of freedom around the world.”

Dr. Feulner has studied at the University of Edinburgh (Ph.D.-Founding President, American Friends of the University), the London School of Economics (Richard M. Weaver Fellow), the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (MBA-Recipient, Joseph Wharton Award), Georgetown University, and Regis University (B.S.-Distinguished Alumnus Award). He has received honorary degrees from Pepperdine University, Nichols College, Grove City College, Bellevue College, Gonzaga University, Universidad Francisco Marroquin (Guatemala), Hanyang University (Korea), St. Norbert College, Hillsdale College, and Thomas More College.