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Argumentative essay about equal rights
Argumentative essay about equal rights
The American idea of freedom
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I attended and graduated from William Tyler Page Elementary school in 1989. So you can imagine my excitement about this assignment. Especially considering my school was named for the author of the American Creed. Written in 1917 as a response to a contest on patriotism. It was later turned into a resolution that was passed by the House of Representatives in April of 1918. Within the creed rests an implicit and deeply-held conviction in freedom and equality. Embedded within are several inherent including the right to democracy, liberty, and freedom of religion. On the other hand, it also outlined the obligation of citizens for what is owed to the country in exchange for these liberties. The American government is a Democracy. That is as defined by Mr. Page as “of the people, by the people and for the people”. It is was intended to remind us that our government should always adhere to democratic principles. Liberty means our government …show more content…
The creed at times has been conflicting and depending on the interpretation in the moment, controversial and not without its challenges on both sides of the hill. Some of the challenges posed by the creed center around equality issues such as race, gender, and most recently, the right to marriage. I would like to take the time to examine the idea of equality. It is important to analyze this because America is still struggling to understand what this value is and how it should be applied to citizens. Equality is defined as everyone is equal in status, rights and opportunities. The idea that everything is the same for all citizens. However, equality is not the same is equity. Equity, is something much more significant. It is about making sure all people get access to all the same opportunities, and that any special circumstances are adjusted based on the needs of the
ignore the issue, he hardly thinks that it was a good idea. "It encouraged the
Foner, Eric. "Chapter 9." Give Me Liberty!: An American History. Brief Third ed. Vol. One. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. N. pag. Print.
The Pledge of Allegiance, created over a century ago, contains one of the most problematic statements in society: “liberty and justice for all”. Despite the remote attempts of the government to alleviate the obstacles that Richard Wright, an advocate of civil rights, endured in 1937, Michelle Alexander, another advocate of civil rights, in 2012 unveils that up to this day the obstacles are nearly the same. In essence, disregarding the 125 years of difference the situation has not changed radically, thus allowing the challenges of inequality to remain under the table. In particular ways, the United States is moderately becoming more racially just and ethical, with actions taken by the government such as affirmative action and the abolition of
“This dream of equality and fairness has never come easily—but it has always been sustained by the belief that in America, change is possible. Today, because of that hope, coupled with the hard and painstaking labor of Americans sung and unsung, we live in a moment when the dream of e...
The Declaration of Independence, since July 4th, 1776, has continued to always become a guideline to protect those who are oppressed. “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,”” (Doc. A) sets the standards on what the United States of America is all about; equality. From the Report of American Horse by D.F. Royer on November 27, 1890 to the “Reminder Day” for Homosexual Rights on July 4, 1968, the Declaration of Independence continues to be the anchor document for many other documents to support those who are tyrannized from their rights.
Lowman, Michael R., George Thompson, and Kurt Grussendorf. United States History: Heritage of Freedom. Pensacola Christian College, 1998.
The United States is an inspiration of liberty and hope for nations around the world. It is a nation with citizens who have the unalienable rights of, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” and a model for how democratic nations should be ordered and maneuvered due to its intrinsic values that are held. Democracy is a system of government where the citizens are responsible for shaping their nation to represent who they are and what they stand for. The people have the ultimate power in the nation. However, as no pure direct democracy exists in any nation, an indirect democracy arises, where people vote to elect representatives, who then in turn make the greater part of decisions for the nation.
A democracy is a system of government controlled by the people, not by one certain group or individual. In the Declaration of Independence it states that “all men are created equal,” an idea which leads to the concept that all citizens should have the same rights, responsibilities, and influence in the governing of their country. In writing the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson was trying to break his ties with the harsh and non-democratic rule of the British and begin a new, equal society and government for America.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary Democracy is a form of government by the people; especially: rule of the majority(Webster). This is what the United States is represented as, and this is based on the United States Constitution from which the United states draws all legal powers. In Robert Dahls book How democratic Is the American Constitution? He challenges this idea by trying to appeal to his readers in a way that they may view the United States Constitution in a different light. Dahl does this by pointing out flaws that the Constitution has and, draws on facts based on the other democracies around the world that the United States is compared too. He points out how many democratic ideas and innovations have a occurred since the conception of the American Constitution yet it has only adopted some of those idea.
Throughout history there has been one common denominator in Christian congregations worldwide. The single most important aspect that is universal of each Christian denomination is the belief that God and Jesus are one. As defined by the Trinity, The father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit make up God. The truth of the unification of Jesus and the Father is manifested in multiple ways. God has the sole power to create in the universe and in the Bible it says that through Jesus all things were created. The union of God and Jesus is also shown in the Forgiveness of Sins. According to the Old Testament forgiveness of sins is a power reserved exclusively for God the Father and in the New Testament it very clearly displays Jesus as one who was sent to forgive us of our sins. The Nicene Creed is right in saying that Jesus and God are one because creation and forgiveness of sins are actions reserved for God that Jesus also carry outs. Since Jesus possesses the ability to do things that God has left for himself, it is apparent that Jesus and God are one.
The prompt for this essay is, “Does freedom need to be won more than once?” In my opinion, it does and it has to be won with every generation. I think even though there are laws ensuring our rights, they are not always upheld. For example, women and men are supposed to be equal, but in some situations they get paid less. In this essay, I will argue that our freedoms must continually be earned. For instance, the Revolutionary War was fought to gain independence from Britain, the Civil War was fought to abolish slavery, and the Women’s Suffrage Movement in the 1910s to 1920s was aimed to allow women to vote.
Lewis, Anthony. Freedom for the Thought That We Hate: A Biography of the First Amendment. New York: Basic Books, 2007. Print.
John Stuart Mill defines liberty, as a limitation of power; “By liberty, was meant protection against the tyranny of the political rulers. The rulers were conceived (except in some of the popular governments of Greece) as in a necessarily antagonistic position to the people whom they ruled.” (John Stuart Mill “On Liberty” Pg. 29) This limit on power is what he refers to as civil liberty; the limitation is put into play for the people, Mill acknowled...
America has long been recognized as a democratic nation, a nation operating under the will of the people. The forefathers of America fought incessantly against British tyranny to start anew in a land of freedom and opportunity. Because America revived the ancient Greek ideology of democracy, the nation was set apart from the rest of the world and was revered for the freedom and justice it provided its people. However, not everyone thinks that American democracy means freedom and liberty. On the contrary, writers such as Henry David Thoreau in "Civil Disobedience" and "Slavery in Massachusetts," along with Herman Melville in "Benito Cereno" and "Bartleby the Scrivener," suggest that democracy can actually oppress and restrict the individual.
In American history, the elements of the American liberal democratic tradition that were most relevant in the society were individual freedom, economic freedom, equality, and democracy. Liberal democracy refers to the people being the rulers with guarantees of individual freedom and equality and that it focuses on individual liberty as an essential to protecting that liberty. The two biggest challenges that liberal democracy faces are one balancing equality and liberty and the other is balancing the government’s needs for individual freedom and legitimacy. Liberal democracy plays a major role in our society to limit government power in interfering with liberty while as it ensures that the government protects liberties. The elements of