Essay About United States And Inalienable Rights

Vision Achieved by Jefferson
Essay title: Vision Achieved by Jefferson
A Vision Achieved
Jefferson envisioned a government that allowed its
citizens to exercise inalienable rights. In exact words,
he states, ” We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these
are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” To be
more evident, how can we define these “inalienable rights”
of “life”, “liberty”, and the “pursuit of happiness?” Have
these inalienable rights, achieved Jeffersons goal? I am
convinced, Jeffersons revolutionary vision of life,
liberty, and happiness has at last been achieved in
America.
Life is a precious gift given to us the moment we are
born and Thomas Jefferson knew this. We can define life as
having respect for ourselves and others, accepting our
individuality, not judging certain groups or individuals,
and being able to exercise our morals and beliefs. Living
in America, we are allowed to live these rights of “life”.
The United States has become a very diverse nation. In
being so diverse, the lives and beliefs of many different
cultures here in America are accepted. One major example,
is religion. Jews and Arabs, who are enemies in there
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countries, live in the United States in harmony. Another
example are the Muslims and Hindus, who hate and kill
each other in their countries, and yet can live in America
side by side in peace because of Thomas Jeffersons vision
of “Life”. I come from a very diverse background. My
father, who is a Palestinian, married my mother, who is
Guatemalan. This issue here is that my father, living the
life of following his own cultural beliefs and not being
able to marry unless a wife is chosen for him, went on to
marry my mother. This is easily attainable in the United
States but in his country it would be unacceptable. Life
is complicated! Our values, morals, and attitudes justify
our lives and how we live our life.
Freedom of slavery, captivity, or any other form of
arbitrary control can help define the right of “Liberty”.
We have the right to not feel confined, but permitted to
act freely. My Grandfather, who lived in Guatemala, was
shot, by guerrilla terrorists, because of his political
beliefs and defending his homestead. Today, we the people,
have the right to speak freely, express our most intimate
thoughts on political or even sexual preferences without
being shot or even having the fear of being shot. A great
example of “Liberty” was displayed by Martin Luther King.
He was the greatest leader of the black movement in the
50s and 60s. If it wasnt for Thomas Jeffersons idea of
the inalienable right of “Liberty”, Martin Luther King
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would have never have had the chance to lead his people to
freedom with the same idea. The Constitution of the United
States has been the supreme law of this nation since