A Second Bill of Rights
In January,1944, Franklin Roosevelt gave a state of the union address that deserves far greater recognition, indeed recognition that, in my view, is urgent in our times. In what is sometimes referred to as his “the Second Bill of Rights” address, Roosevelt called for a second Bill of Rights that would vouchsafe economic rights.
He noted that the Constitution and Bill of Rights guarantee political rights, but they need to be complemented with a parallel roster of economic entitlements to further ensure that happiness be achievable. Asserting that political rights alone are insufficient, he proclaimed that “necessitous men are not free men.” In short, we need political rights to agitate for economic justice. But without a guaranteed economic standard of living commensurate with human dignity, political freedom means little.
He listed eight economic entitlements, among them the right to a decent wage, the right to a home, the right to be secure in old age, sickness, disability, and unemployment, the right to a good education, and yes, the right to health care.
