Inalienable Freedoms In America
I. Introduction The United States is founded on the concept of Liberty. As expressed in the Constitution, all United States citizens are entitled to the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These values have been endlessly challenged throughout history in an attempt to determine where freedom should end and where government regulation might begin.
The rule of law is reflected as a core principle of our nation and vital to ordered liberty. To rightly govern the American rule of law it is essential to acknowledge the continuity between the American Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The United States of America “government” is framed by these two important documents. The principles of the Declaration of Independence constitute the foundation of the government based on the universal equality of all human beings, and the U.S. Constitution founds the political process that is to be followed by the elected officials in governing the people. One cannot be without the other; both are essential for a stable government.
Chapter four of “Essentials of American Government Roots and Reform” describes civil liberties and their affect upon American government and society. Civil liberties, as defined in the book, are “the personal guarantees and freedoms that government cannot abridge, by law, constitution, or judicial interpretation.” Civil liberties that Americans enjoy include the freedom of religion, right to bear arms, freedom of speech, and freedom of privacy. I argue that civil liberties are important to preserve and that recent actions undertaken by the federal government have weakened them.
Through a strict interpretation of the constitution, liberties such as the first amendment granting citizens the freedom of speech, assembly, and petition will never be compromised in an attempt to restrain the people. The addition of the bill of right would have not been ratified in 1791 if it had not been for Jefferson representing the necessity of the aggregation of individual rights and
The ratification of the US Bill of Rights took place in 1789. The Bill of Rights supply citizens of the US with inalienable rights that they are born with and acquire if they immigrate. Since it was ratified, there have been several occasions in which these rights have been infringed upon during times of conflict, in which the United States government attempts to shield the nation from conflicting issues inside or even outside the country because of fear. The government believes that this unconstitutional action to restrict citizens’ rights must be done to protect citizens of the United States, but in an attempt to protect others, many become mistreated.
The constitution was signed and sent out to the states in 1787, but was not ratified until 1788. During this time in the states the constitution caused a great deal of controversy. While some, the Federalists, believed that a constitution is exactly what was needed, others, the Anti-Federalists, felt that a constitution severely needed a bill of rights. There are many reasons a bill of rights was included in the constitution. Although it was not in the first copy, it was promised to be in the next one if nine states would ratify it.
President Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech and the Atlantic Charter laid the foundation for postwar ideals of human rights through calling for specific freedoms and rights desired by most citizens of the world that were not available to all. The Four Freedoms called for the freedoms of speech, of worship, from want, and from fear, and, to Roosevelt, “…expressed deeply held American values worthy of being spread worldwide” (Foner 855). Americans already possessed the freedoms of speech and worship, but the rest of the world did not, and nearly no one retained the remaining two. The freedom from fear “…meant not only a longing for peace but a more general desire for security in a world that seemed to be out of control” (Foner 855), and was longed
The Bill of Rights was written in 1791 and was created by James Madison and guaranteed specific rights, freedoms, limitations for the states, the people, and the government. Rights and freedoms presented in the Bill of Rights are “Freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and petition; Right to a speedy trial; Right to a trial by jury; Other powers remain with the people” (Document 8). The Bill of Rights showed a positive change in rights for Americans because it granted rights and freedoms, which set up a guideline for the United States. These rights spread more equality between the government and the people. Americans gained wanted rights that were not solidified prior to the Bill of Rights and .
Living in America is a privilege considering all of the rights we, U.S. citizens are given. These rights include freedom of speech, freedom of press, trial by jury, right to bare arms, right to vote and so many more basic things people should be given. But back in the colonial era the colonists didn’t have any of these rights that they thought were “unalienable rights” meaning every person should have them and they can't be taken from us, so they fought for those rights. And because of this war we now have so many rights that we take granted of every day and love. Some of these important rights also include the right to a capitalistic economy and a fair chance at wealth and gain.
Perhaps the most obvious rights Americans enjoy are acquired from the freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, and press guaranteed in the First Amendment. It is this amendment that gives America its environment of freedom, because if expression were restrained, oppression of the people would soon imitate. As George Washington said, "If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter. " When the people can 't voice their perspectives, tyranny begins. The government cannot take control over my opinions and thoughts.
Society’s values and what they deem as important evolve continuously, and what is considered fundamental rights today may not align with societal norms and expectations in the future. Once a Bill of Rights is established into legislation, it is extremely challenging to remove or amend these rights, and often requires complex and lengthy legal processes. This rigidity means laws may not be able to be adapted to address emerging issues or changing social attitudes. As a result of this, a Bill of Rights, while initially reflecting social needs and expectations, risks becoming outdated and less effective in fulfilling the needs of a modern society. In the debate of the necessity and utility of a Bill of Rights, creating a balance between constitutional protection and adapting to changing circumstances remains a critical
In 1787 the United States’ constitution was written, two years later the Bill of Rights was added. The Bill of Rights consists of ten amendments which were designed based on the American ideals to ensure that the federal government is not too powerful, and that it would protect the rights of the people or of the state. One of the most important amendments in the Bill of Rights is the sixth amendment which gives the people the right to enjoy a speedy trial when accused, and it allows the accused person to know the cause of accusation and who his accuser is. It clearly represents some of the American ideals such as: democracy, equality, and opportunity. The sixth amendment provides more requirements for a fair trial in criminal cases.
The citizens of America need unalienable rights to protect themselves from the government. The unalienable rights are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In the document Andrew Sullivan
We have our Bill of Rights (the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution); so why aren’t we that free? Let’s look at some of these amendments and why the interpretation of them today may be holding us back from true freedom. First Amendment Freedom of Speech – While we like to point to freedom of speech as the guard dog of our freedom, total freedom of speech has brought with it some unintended consequences. First, all speech is protected, even ugly, hate-filled speech.
In today’s era, the Constitution holds most controversial rights that determines our history. The United States Constitution has provided powerful words, such as “We the People” and “all men are created equal” done with careful evaluation by the Founders, including the Bill of Rights that holds 10 amendments under the Constitution regarding a balance between an individual and the government; however, the document defines the American political system and government relations between citizens and its government
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