Essay about The Declaration Then And Now - 1348 Words

The Declaration Then and Now nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The year was sixteen hundred and eighty-nine and a man by the name of John Locke wrote Second Treatise on Government (Zinn 73). In it, Locke wrote that in a natural state everyone, all people, are born free and equal, and possess certain rights. He said that these â€Å"natural rights† were life, liberty, and property. He also said that the evildoers who conspired to deprive others of their life, liberty, or property ruined the good life of the state of nature (Locke). The only way to protect these rights is by joining together to form governments. The power of government, then, stems from the consent of the governed, which entrust the government with responsibility for protecting†¦show more content†¦They were now a free country. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Two hundred and twenty-five years ago, Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. The words he wrote were, â€Å"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 (Jefferson 685). â€Å"†¦created equal†¦,† those are very powerful words. Equality, meaning being the same, on the same level, no one higher or lower than the other, but can we honestly say that racism is no longer prevalent in our country? Of course not, the recent incidents, such as Rodney King, James Byrd, Abner Louima, and Amadou Diallo, proves that. In an article entitled, â€Å"Racism Down But Not Out in the US Government Study Finds†, published on September 22, 2000, Assistant Secretary of State, Harold Koh reported to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, â€Å"Americ a’s struggle to secure racial equality remains incomplete. The residual effects of slavery and institutionalized racism can still be seen in the lingering disparity between blacks and whites in income, levels of education, and health care and rates of incarceration in our nation’s prisons†. Koh too, mentioned the recent incidents that have happened saying that, â€Å"we have not yet met the challenge of creating a color-blind society† (Husain 1). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;It is not just African AmericansShow MoreRelatedThe Declaration Of Independence : What Shaped And Provided The Freedom The United States Of America1030 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract The declaration of Independence is what shaped and provided the freedom the United States of America has today. The Declaration of Independence today is looked at a symbol for America to reflect on as it paved the way for most of the rights we have today. This document has been fundamental to american history longer than any other text because it was the first text to use â€Å"The United States of America† and in a sense the Declaration was the birth certificate of the American nationRead MoreThe Declaration of Independence: Americas Foundation Essay example1229 Words   |  5 PagesThe issue the Declaration of Independence being a legal document has been up for debate in courts for many years now. Although, the Declaration of Independence clarifies the United States identity as a free nation, it has generated intense controversy. 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