Writing a Statute Thomas Jefferson wrote the Statute for Religious Freedom because he believed that religious freedom was one of the “natural rights of mankind.” Think about a right that you believe in and would like to see incorporated into your school’s rules. Write a “statute” that would make this right part of the school rules. Your statute should describe the right clearly. It should indicate what behaviors the right would prohibit or allow. And it should tell why you believe that students should have this right.