If the original intent of the Declaration of Independence was followed,

[KlatooBNikto]

I do not think we will have Universal Suffrage,Civil Rights, Separation of Church and State. Those men did not accept blacks and women as their equals;they did not accept the notion that nayone without property was entitled to a vote.And they certainly did not think women were the equals of men.

[CBGLuthier]

1. Jefferson wanted to free the slaves

A compromise had to be made and that part was removed or the southern colonies never would have signed it.

As for the fact they were mostly wealty white landowners. Well, that's just the way it was. Doesn't change the importance of the declaration one whit.

The Constitution and the attached Bill of rights is where they got it "mostly" right. Took a couple hundred years in all but the foundation was correctly laid out within the Constitution,

[flyingfysh]

4. Jefferson couldn't free his own slaves

because he was in debt. The banks wouldn't have allowed him to.

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Maybe it's a point of departure, not a point of (unchanging) reference

[bush_is_wacko]

3. Without a doubt you are correct...

I am a descendant of one of the original framers of the Constitution. He didn't believe that women, blacks, Indians and "uneducated" farmers had any business voting or giving the government advice, but he DID believe in leaving the Constitution open to change and that indicates to me he and the other men who created that document KNEW change would forever be a necessity.

The civil rights movements of this country did not IMO, go against the openendedness of our original Constitution and the changes they created in that document SHOULD be just as "intentional" and important as the original words.

[lumpy]

5. The Constitution of the US gives

the American people the opportunity to fight for our rights. It is up to the people to excersize that right. The Black movement/Womens rights came about from the people with the support from the pols who had our interests at heart.
The Constitution should be protected from those who desire to change it for their greedy benefits.