Equality Lies In Value example essay topic

The lone dissenter, Justice John Harlan, showed incredible foresight when he wrote "Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law... In my opinion, the judgment this day rendered will, in time, prove to be quite as pernicious as the decision made by this tribunal in the Dred Scott case... The present decision, it may well be apprehended, will not only stimulate aggressions, more or less brutal and irritating, upon the admitted rights of colored citizens, but will encourage the belief that it is possible, by means of state enactments, to defeat the beneficent purposes which the people of the United States had in view when they adopted the recent amendments of the Constitution". Over time, the words of Justice Harlan rang true. The Ples sy decision set the precedent that "separate" facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional as long as they were "equal".

The "separate but equal" doctrine was quickly extended to cover many areas of public life, such as restaurants, theaters, restrooms, and public schools. Not until 1954, in the equally important Brown vs. Board of Education decision, would the "separate but equal" doctrine be struck down. The case was moved up to the Supreme Court which ruled that segregation in America was constitutional. After the hearing of Homer Plessey's case Justice John Harlan wrote: "Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens.

". (Knapp man, 467) Racial segregation included all spheres of life: school education, voting and the right to be elected... At that time white people got all benefits. Negroes had no access to education, voting, etc. Practically, all of the race was illiterate; and even they were forbidden to get education in some states by law. In 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment was adopted where it was written that: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.

No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws". ; but the effect of the Amendment on the states was generally ignored. It seems to me the framer's conception of equality is achievable; but today, trying to achieve equality, Americans forget the original meaning of it. It has become a goal, a moral virtue for them to which American society aspires. They forget that Thomas Jefferson did not speak of differences between individuals. As for me I think it was unjust because we are equal on the level of person's essential humanity, we are equal in the eyes of our Creator.

It goes without saying that human's perception of surroundings and the value of life have changed. Since the early times in Primeval times physical abilities of human beings played an important role in their lives. They determined a position to others. Later the value of life was estimated with power and wealth. A person who had more wealth or were more powerful had an advantage of others. But nowadays we considered ourselves human beings of highly developed moral value.

Our perception of life is complicated. Though in a modern society wealth, power and physical abilities are also important but are not (or should not be) the reason for superiority one man of others. That happened, may be, because we began to take more care about our soul not only about the needs of our body. A modern person has a lot of moral obligations and limitations.

They come from our inner world and under them we act. For sure people are different. Some are brighter, more talented and more beautiful than others. Denying our difference has no morality.

It is immoral to pretend that we are all equal. People are not equal physically and mentally. Some of us were born retarded; but on the level of basic humanity we are equal. All of us have an equal right to a safe and peaceful work, and an equal right to life, liberty and happiness. That is morality because it does not allow for abuse. What we need is not to focus on achieving equality and virtue in life but pursue a universal value - universal because it includes all people and applies to all humankind at all times.

These universal values mean that all people were created to serve God. So, equality lies in value not in the people. When we understand it then our individual qualities and differences will not make us uncomfortable. A society that lives under universal principles of morality will respect the life of each individual.

Many years have passed since the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were adopted; but looking back more than hundreds years ago Americans constantly think on brief assertion in them: "all men are created equal", and all the time they want to understand what they mean.