Equality For Whom?

The ideas that are articulated in the Declaration of Independence are the foundation of a particulary American perplexity which defines both our country's triumphs and failures even today. This historical document states that we, as a country, hold "these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain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." Does the United States really follow these guidelines?

They said that we should have a right to life. So, should America have a death penalty? Isn't this going against what our founding fathers agreed to?

Our founding fathers also said that we should have the right to pursuit happiness. What if one person's pursuit of happiness is absurd, or if it endangers others. One person's pursuit of happiness can be going to college, getting a job, falling in love and starting a family. Another person's happiness can be murdering people. Should they be given the right to do this? Of course not. We must have guidelines somewhere.

Some of the triumphs that we have experienced are our government. We have someone govern us that is elected by us. If they don't turn out to be a good governor, we have the power to veto them out of their position. If you don't have the will of your people behind you, you are believed to be unjust and a tyrant, and most likely won't be voted to have a position in the U.S. government. Other countries had Kings. Kings earned their title by it being passed on by family. If the people didn't like the King, there really wasn't anything they could do and they were forced to obey him.

The Declaration of Independence also stated that all men were created equal. If all men were created equal, why have we faced so many problems because people were "unequal"? One major problem that American has faced is segregation. White people were thought to be "superior" to black people, just because of the color of their skin. Some people took a stand to this, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. Slavery was also going on when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Even though slavery was eventually abolished from the United States, there were still problems with segregation, even 50 years ago. In the early 1960's, the Civil Rights Movement took place. Some people did not think that it was fair that black people weren't allowed to go to certain places just because they were black. There would be a water fountain for white people, and a water fountain for black people. But weren't we all supposed to be equal? Oney Judge, Martha Washington's personal servant thought that one day she would become one of the family, but she eventually realized that she was like a piece of property to Lady Washington.

Another problem that we as a country have faced is sex. Women weren't allowed to vote until 1920, when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was passed. Women of color in the southern states were not allowed to vote until the 1960's, after the Civil Rights Movement. We have had 45 presidnets, and they have all been men. If we are all equal, women should be able to do the same things as men. Including being President of the United States.

WE Americans are given many freedoms. This includes the freedom of religion. I am a Christian, and one of my Christian friends at a nearby school is not allowed to bring his Bible to school. I think that we should have the freedom to do this. Many of us look to God's word for guidance, and schools should not be able to say we cannot do this there.

Another freedom we have is the freedom of speech and the freedom to express ourselves. There are many people that are Pro-Choice, and many that are against abortion. It is okay to voice your opinion, but people against abortion should not be able to put those pictures out so everyone passing by can see them. They aren't G-rated, so I don't think that they should be out where children can view them.

Gay marriage has created a lot of controversy in the United States. This ties back to the pursuit of happiness. Some scientists believe that people are born gay. If finding your soul mate of the same sex will bring you happiness, you should be allowed to do so. It states it in the Declaration of Independence.

We are said to be equal, but it doesn't show. From Paris Hilton to the homeless man on the street corner, are they equal? We try to be a country of peace, but hatred and inequality is shown even in high school. Some of us don't get along with others or even talk to them because they are a different "status" than us. The preppy people don't talk to the skaters, the Goths don't talk to the art students. If we are all equal, we should be able to get along.

One article in the document that I don't like states that "He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warefare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions". The Native Americans did kill people of all ages, sexes and conditions during the French and Indian War, but America did too. This shows that America easily recognizes the faults of others, but no the cruelty of their own actions.

The way that the authors say "the merciless Indian Savages" is just disgusting. If it was set up different, like saying "the merciless Savage Indians", it would have been different. They would have then at least implied that some Indians were peaceful and not all Indians were savages. The way that they implied it though, says that they were savages, and just happened to be Indians.

I believe that when they wrote in the Declaration of Independence that all men were created equal, with rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, they really did not understant the whole concept. They did not know what would happen in the future. Countries like France did not face problems like us, because they never said all people were created equal. I think that the founding fathers of our country could have been more clear with what they were saying. Its been almost 231 years since the Declaration of Independence was written, and its point has not yet been obtained and the people of America are not yet equal. But will we ever be?