Post by pfalkow on Sept 26, 2013 3:57:27 GMT
At the time of the revolution and well into the modern era, the Declaration of Independence has been regarded as one of the most influential pieces of literature ever composed. The Declaration of Independence allowed America to claim what they felt was rightfully theirs. The Declaration of Independence was written as rallying cry for the people who demanded justice and sought freedom. It continues to serve today as a symbol of hope for all those who seek equality.
However influential and highly respected the Declaration of Independence may be, I find that much of what it stands for was not respected then, is not respected now, and will likely not be respected for a considerable time into the future. The beginning of the preamble states, "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." This phrase, which has stood the test of time, may sound all well and good, but our nation has not stood by its declaration. Over the last almost two and a half centuries there has, at one point or another, been at least one group of people that is denied rights. Gays have been denied the right to marry the ones they love, Blacks and women have been denied the right to vote, the underprivileged have been denied the ability to further themselves in the world by lack of affordable living and quality education. The civil rights of every American has been, or is today, in contradiction with the certain inalienable rights that our great nation was founded on.
However influential and highly respected the Declaration of Independence may be, I find that much of what it stands for was not respected then, is not respected now, and will likely not be respected for a considerable time into the future. The beginning of the preamble states, "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." This phrase, which has stood the test of time, may sound all well and good, but our nation has not stood by its declaration. Over the last almost two and a half centuries there has, at one point or another, been at least one group of people that is denied rights. Gays have been denied the right to marry the ones they love, Blacks and women have been denied the right to vote, the underprivileged have been denied the ability to further themselves in the world by lack of affordable living and quality education. The civil rights of every American has been, or is today, in contradiction with the certain inalienable rights that our great nation was founded on.