[donquixote99]

The UN list is a good list.

I always like to point out that the Declaration of Independence declares that 'all men,' in the sense of all persons it is usually said, are endowed with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The first two are a clear enough pair of minimums, while the third is more vague. But it has a libertarian ring. Happiness, after all, is generally judged a personal and subjective matter, so the Declaration seems to endorse an individualist perspective on life, with self-determined aims.

Rights as a practical matter are just what one's fellows are willing to support on your behalf. The cases where support was absent and rights were violated with impunity, or even widespread approval, are countless. And it may be noted that the Declaration of Independence is not the Constitution, and has no literal force of law. But when it comes to marshaling the support of one's fellow citizens, the familiar words of the Declaration are a potent help. And I think it pertinent that the Declaration says 'all men,' not 'all citizens.' The writ of the Constitution is held by some not to run to foreigners, or to places like Guantanamo or Abu Ghraib. But the Declaration does not recognize any such limits. Its language is universal.