She has quoted the first lines of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the U.N. in 1948, which was heavily influenced by the United States of America's Declaration of Independence of 1776, which in turn was influenced by the writing of George Mason, a Virginian, known as "the Father of the Bill of Rights" and "The Father of the American Enlightenment." George Mason was a mentor to Thomas Jefferson (author of the Declaration of Independence), and Jefferson freely credited Mason as a guiding influence. Mason also built upon the philosophies in Englishman John Locke's "Rights of Man"
Example:
From the Virginia Bill of Rights (Mason)
That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, . . . , the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.
Declaration of Independence (Jefferson)
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."
The Universal Declaration of Brotherhood (United Nations)
Article 3
"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person."