Editor’s note: The following speech by Tennessee Rep. John Ragan was given during a Saturday grand opening ceremony at the campaign headquarters for business owner Terry Frank, a Clinton Republican who is running for Anderson County mayor.
Over two hundred years ago, our ancestors boldly declared that every citizen stands before the law as an equal. These brave souls wagered their fortunes, their honor and their very lives on the proposition that the Creator endows every person with the same unalienable rights. These patriots recognized that these rights not only include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but economic freedom and many other rights, too numerous to mention.