The Contemporary Equality Movement

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“The Contemporary Equality Movement” The United States of America was founded on the unwavering principle of freedom, justice, and equality for all. As the statement of beliefs 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…” This great Union we all love and venerate has grown from a simple 13 colonies under the oppression and unjust rule of England, to the most powerful military and economic force human civilization has ever seen. Because the Architects of our founding documents understood what the Enlightenment and the ideas of John Locke, Thomas Paine, and Voltaire could produce, they came to the conclusion that the institutionalization of the dogmatic view of superiority over minorities resulted in a society of bigotry and disdain. With components added to the Constitution after the first ten amendments that comprise our Bill of Rights, this idea of an egalitarian nation has seen drastic changes over the period of over 200 years. Throughout the past two centuries our culture became more open-minded and accepting of individuals who were different. From the abolishment of slavery, to women’s suffrage, and especially into today’s fight for marriage equality, Civil Rights have been a quintessential component in what our nation is today. To enact legislation that favors a religious viewpoint is not only a fallacy but also violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Who are we to intrude into one’s personal convictions and decide who they can and cannot love? Unfortunately, many social-conservatives feel the need to regulate the unions of individuals. Through derisions of “protecting traditional marriage” and the thought that being gay is a choice insinuates not only a level of
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