I Believe In Life, By Andrew Sullivan

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. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed... (The Free Dictionary, 2014, para. 5)

The whole sense that the Founders thought every human was equal was quite preposterous if thought about. Generally, most Americans are taught that the founders started this country because they wanted a place to be free. However, what these people aren’t being taught is that a lot of the labor that it took to build this country was the work of slaves. And what are slaves? They are workers who are kept at their place against their will.

In the book Life is so Good, George Dawson and Richard Glaubman give a very rare representation of life in the early 1900s. George Dawson, a poor and illiterate black man tells life as it is through his experiences. These many life experiences are portrayed in new stories told chapter by chapter intrigue the reader of the book. This paper will review Dawson’s many stories and his perspective on life at the time, as well as the way his views and mindset compares to the philosophy of African Americans at this time.

Let me explain in this quote where Thomas Jefferson states, “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” He is talking about how equal humans are and about what rights and freedoms his creator give them. This quote proves his claim because he is trying to explain that humans have been made in the same way and that all should have the same rights. Including this quote where Thomas Jefferson states, “He has obstructed

The 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution attempted to guarantee “equal protection of the laws” to all people in the jurisdiction of the United States. This means that no person shall be discriminated under the law. This Equal Protection clause does not require identical treatment in all circumstances. Equal protection of the laws, like due process, is a constitutional guarantee of fair treatment for all persons, regardless of sex, race, national origin, religion, or political views. It is rooted in the truth expressed in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal." Many African Americans believe they were not protected under the Equal Protection clause, because there was still discrimination based on race under

“All men are created equal”, One of the famous quotes from the Declaration of the Independence, ever since it was created in 1776. This document that has established our country. Written by Thomas Jefferson himself and revised by John Adam and Benjamin Franklin, where they were able to establish the reasons why the United States needed there independence with their ideals of equality, unalienable rights, consent of the governed, and the right to alter or abolish government. These are all really important to follow because they each have a purpose but the one that I believe is most important would be equality. I believe that it is because it's something we really haven’t been able to understand over the following years.

It was Thomas Jefferson who uttered the words "That all men are created equal...." However, over one hundred years would pass before these words would mean anything. Equality among all Americans would come with the adoption of the fifteenth, nineteenth, and twenty-fourth Amendments. Before these amendments were passed not everyone had equal rights. African-Americans and white women had almost no rights at all. Their road to equality is large due to three very important

Individuality is the quality that people that makes each person unique and distinguishable from each other. It is important to remain distinct from others, even among groups of people that are classified as either the same or very similar. While individuality is a concept that many people agree with and want to ensure, the pressure from most people’s lives, including their environment and the people around them, forces individuals to lose who they truly are and morph in order to fit in. I strongly agree that individuality, while important, is difficult to keep because of outside factors, a concept that was presented by Logan Fey.

Equality is a huge theme and reason for the document. Jefferson especially draws much needed attention to equal rights for all people. The phrase “all men are created equal” implies that all people have the same rights and no one person has greater power or more freedom because of their social standings. Although, we are all equal, we are not all the same, and certain inequalities will still exist.

When Thomas Jefferson wrote the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, it became one of his greatest legacies. In the first line he wrote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal" (U.S. Constitution, paragraph 2). Jefferson wrote these words to give inspiration to future generations in the hopes that they would be able to change what he either would or could not. The word “men” in the Declaration in the early 1700 and 1800’s meant exactly that, but even then it only was true for some men, not all. Women, children, and other segments of the population such as slaves and Native Americans were clearly not included. Jefferson himself was a slave owner and held the belief that women were

“All men are created equal,” a true statement or false hope? Liberty, Democracy, Rights, Equality, and Opportunity. are all outlined in the Declaration of Independence as goals set for America. However, it is debated today if America has lived up to the Ideals. It is more evident that America has not lived up to the Ideals expressed, especially those of Rights, Equality, and Opportunity. As the government increases gun control laws, Americans feel as if their 2nd Amendment Right is being compromised. Some American citizens believe they are being denied things because they are considered un-Equal. Lastly, gay couples believe they deserve the same opportunities given to straight couples. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men

Many would say that America was built on the principle that “all men are created equal” and that U.S. citizens are all given equal treatment, opportunities, and so on. But, is that really the case? Was Thomas Jefferson’s famous words, forever inscribed in the Declaration of Independence, meant for everyone? Taking a look back into America’s short (at least when compared to other countries) history, the phrase “all men are created equal” doesn’t really seem to correlate with the circumstances of that century. Africans were enslaved and forced to do hard, strenuous labor or else be forced to endure a beating by the slave master. But don’t forget, all men are created equal. It says so in the constitution. Fast forward a couple of hundred years where all men still aren’t equal, but are close to it.

In the Declaration of Independence, written on July 4th, 1776, it 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.” In the quote from the Declaration of Independence, it clearly means “all of us are” created equal, and I believe that if we all work together, we can achieve equality regardless of race, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, etc.. In a report on late February 13th, 2016, NBC News reporter Miranda Leitsinger quoted Judge Allen’s statement regarding the amendment that states—“Our Constitution declares that “all men” are created equal” – without correction. The Declaration also plays an important role in our world today and in recent

all men are created equal. However, until very recently in this country this was not the case.

Since the beginnings of our nation’s it has been implied that all people should be viewed as equals but the question is, are all people seen as equal? Our founding fathers wrote that all men were all one of the same. Everyone is familiar with Thomas Jefferson's famous quote," We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” The passage claims that we are all equal but where is the proof that we are? It was stated in the Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen, “Men are born free and remain free and of equal rights”. I do not believe that these statements apply to all of mankind. Throughout history many acts have proven otherwise. As we take a look throughout history we see