‘It’s the Action of the Chase, It‘s the Ability to be in the Game’: Rick Santelli Explains the ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ in This Special Fourth of July Message
- Posted on July 4, 2012 at 5:00pm by
Becket Adams
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Knowing that the markets would be closed for the holiday, Rick Santelli, the man commonly credited with starting the Tea Party, took the opportunity to commemorate the Fourth of July a day early:
“You know, 236 years ago today, a document which most historians believe was drafted by Thomas Jefferson … was adopted by the Second Continental Congress,” Santelli said.
“But there’s one phrase that I want to pull out in particular,” he continued, “Here is the phrase I’m talking about. It reads, ‘all men are created equal, they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ And it’s the word ‘pursuit’ that I want to talk about specifically.”
He continued:
You know, if you go on your computer and you look for antonyms and synonyms of the word “pursuit,” and I’ve done this, and the best one I found is … when you chase after something. The antonym, or the opposite of “pursuit,” is “surrender” or “retreat.”
This is what I think Thomas Jefferson was getting at. In this country, what makes us different, is that we have the right to pursue whatever floats our boat, but we don‘t and shouldn’t have any guarantees by anybody that you’re going to catch it!
It’s the action of the chase, it’s the ability to be in the game, it’s the ability to do that that brought my grandparents here. Nobody said, “listen, if you come here, you can pursue happiness and we‘ll write you a guarantee that you’re going to get it.”
Perhaps someone should tell this to the leaders of the now-defunct and anemic Occupy movement.
“Ronald Reagan said that an issue we need to worry about is re-institutionalizing our greatness. You know what he meant by that? Education. We need to teach kids civic rituals,” Santelli continued.
“I’ve asked a lot of young people the last couple days just to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. You know what the results are. We need to get back to basic,” he added. “Happy birthday America, and another 2,000 years to add onto it!”
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Mr Sanders
Posted on July 6, 2012 at 1:35pmRick Santelli – Straight up and in your face; Honestly Refreshing!!
Rick – love your words, straight shooting, avid listener on youtube, and keep up the good work/fight!!
Report Post »youshuthehellup
Posted on July 6, 2012 at 1:03amRick Santelli for PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »HKS
Posted on July 5, 2012 at 11:01amRick is about the only brite spot on any of the NBC networks. About the only one there with any horsesense at all.
Report Post »Doova
Posted on July 5, 2012 at 10:47amI love Rick Santelli. I have been watching him for 7 years on CNBC, the only part of NBC network that has true patriots on it, (add Joe Kernen from “Squak Box” in the morning to that patriot list.) GOD I am praying for this country, and I have been staying strong, but the SCOTUS decision has made me consider if the “Land of the Free” is dead.
Report Post »GrayPanther
Posted on July 5, 2012 at 10:38amThere was the suggestion the statement has “property” in the place of pursuit of happiness. However, using property would have supported the South’s position that slaves were property and for this reason Jefferson made the change.
Report Post »drfrn
Posted on July 5, 2012 at 9:36amI really like Rick, but he has to get this right. The Declaration of Independence says “unalienable rights”. There is a difference…big one. Look up the definitions to find out why!
Report Post »Tigress1
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 10:46pmRick’s awesome! I agree with him again. Pursuit of happiness, yeah, life is a journey, not a destination. It’s the thrill of the hunt. Ever wonder why when you work so hard to get something it often turns out to not be as great as you expected? Well, it’s the thrill of getting there, not the end product.
Report Post »fande3rls
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:21pmAnother great statement by Patriot santelli
Report Post »The Giver
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:09pmRick, the father of the Tea Party, He should run for President. He gets it. I pray that our country heals and that next 4th will be celebrated with a new president and senate. Hang in there everyone. We are not alone.
Report Post »TAXEVERYONE
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 7:04pmThanks Rick, keep up the good work.
Report Post »TexOkie
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 6:03pmRick Santelli understands the meaning of the day much better than Melissa Harris-Perry.
Report Post »patspeak
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 5:50pmI wonder what Jefferson would think of American culture today? I know what Benjamin Franklin had to say at the signing of the Declaration, ” “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
Report Post »I think both of these great patriots are in heaven looking down on America and saying, “Give America’s culture today a kick in the ass and abolish the United States Dept. of Education”.
old white guy
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 5:48pmit is the fourth of july and no one is paying attention. i guess one day away from worrying about the idiots who run the country is a good thing.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 5:44pmI agree, bring back Civics classes. Two, out of my three girls, were chosen to attend Buckeye Girls State, where they learn about government, voting, etc. I suspect my third will be going, too when she is old enough.
Report Post »seeker9
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 5:28pmI would much rather listen to Rick than that msnbc hack in that other story!
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on July 4, 2012 at 5:13pmwell the kids growing up in the gimme generation where mommy and daddy gave them whatever they wanted have no idea what this idea is at all
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