Larry Arnn, the conservative president of Hillsdale College, arguably the most conservative college in the country, had an op-ed in yesterday's Wall Street Journal in which he partially praised the Declaration of Independence. Complimenting J.D. Vance's speech accepting the Republican vice-presidential nomination, Arnn reflected on certain passages of the Declaration of Independence, such as how it is sometimes necessary for people "to dissolve the political bands" and its appeal to the "laws of Nature and Nature's God." Notably omitted from Arnn's homage to the Declaration, however, was what I consider the most important phrase of all: that everyone has been "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Why would Arnn omit that phrase from his paean to the Declaration? One possibility is that he simply overlooked it. Another possibility is that he doesn't think it's very important. Yet another possibility is that he doesn't agree with it.

In fact, even though they are loathe to admit it, most right-wingers ardently oppose that part of the Declaration of Independence. That's because they know it negates their deep devotion to America's system of immigration controls.