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How is this "universal truth self-evident"?

I'd love you to show me that there is a repeatable and measurable experiment that determines that as a fundamental function of the universe, people should have equal rights.

Personally, I don't believe that (the fact it's a universal truth) to be true, morals and ethics are a subjective topic and stuff like "everyone should have equal right" is something that most people including me can agree on fairly easily. Other people might not agree.

The founders held those truths to be self-evident, but in some contexts (say , outside of educated 18th century gentry) they must be argued.

This doesn't work without a universal moral law, an assumption now deprecated in many circles.

I disagree, but in any case you seem to be disregarding the context of my comment above, without which it is empty of meaning.