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The Importance Of The Bill Of Rights

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During the construction of the US constitution, many founding fathers debated on what rights citizens should have what rights should be the most important. James Madison introduced eight rights citizens are entitled to, and from that came he final 10 amendments to the Bill of rights. It wasn’t easy getting to the final Bill of Rights as there have been much debate and controversy on what they mean. Using Madison’s 1789 speech as a pretext to the bill of rights, Congress made right decisions and wrong decision particularly in areas of ensuring rights of the minority, making clear the use of arms and clarifying how government is for the people. Firstly, what the current Bill of Rights fails to do is protect the minority from the majority’s overwhelming representation and power. James Madison clearly states in his speech when regarding minorities that “The exceptions here or elsewhere in the constitution, made in favor of particular rights, shall not be so construed as to diminish the just importance of other rights retained by the people, or as to enlarge the powers delegated by the constitution; but either as actual limitations of such powers, or as inserted merely for greater caution” (Madison, 456). What Madison means is when giving people rights, congress cannot infringe on other people’s rights as a result. For example, Plessy V. Ferguson, the infamous court that legalized separation but equal treatment between blacks and whites infringed on African American’s

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