In a rapidly modernizing world where the main concern of most people is the intrigue of social media, the significance of the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the government that both of the documents establish becomes easily overlooked. It is commonly argued that the ideas that the documents founding our nation have become outdated and unfit to adequately govern the modern nation that America has become in the 21st century–especially where equality is concerned.
However, the Constitution is equally relevant today as it was back when it was drafted and ratified by the States. Its principals and concepts are timeless and as long as man is inclined to continue following its conduct, they will continue to be timeless and applicable to any nation whose values center around freedom and equality of the individual.
It is observed in the that all men are equal in the state of nature and are entitled to these natural rights without question. Favoring freedom over equality resulted from the undeniable natural rights presented in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. But what we need to consider as we continue to progress is what total equality would mean for us as a nation.
If everyone is equal in power then anyone can take anything from any individual, but with the exchange of total equality, the election of a governing body creates the security needed to protect individual rights. In turn, if the government elected should fail to protect these rights, its citizens would have the right to overthrow that government.
The function of liberty and equality is cyclical in democracy. Our freedom is protected by the sacrifice of equality. The government provides security for that exchange.Yet, the government will always be above the people. There will always be an imbalance in place.
That doesn't mean that the existing government doesn't need to be changed. Out of necessity of modernizing times, the acceptance of civil rights, women's suffrage, and now marriage equality have been added to the structured system that our founding fathers established. The acceptance of these changes provided a struggle for each group, but their acceptance is not unwarranted based on the morals and rights undeniably presented in the Declaration of Independence.
Although these few groups have been accepted and recognized by the United States government, there are still challenges that they face when it comes to total acceptance.
The Declaration grants everyone their right to liberty, but it doesn't guarantee equality - at least not in the sense that the individuals of the 21st-century desire. The challenge we face today as a country is a fight for total equality among American citizens. But, how can the government accept total equality if it means compromising the freedoms that it swore to protect?
If the United States government were to accept the demand for total equality they would be putting the entire foundation of the country at risk. Total equality would call for not only the acceptance of all races and genders; it would eliminate the caste system that our society is structured around: elimination of upper, middle, and lower classes.
Activists of the total equality movement are calling for exactly that. Adopting a policy that favors equality for every individual would result in losing the structure of government. Because this would mean everyone would granted equal power. If everyone is equal in power then who is to prevent individuals from taking from others.
Accepting total equality cannot happen without compromising the protection of individual and natural rights.
The changes that have been added to the constitution over the years has resulted in the growth and development of a great nation and the growth towards an equal nation. Most of the additions to governmental roles and societal standards have been added out of necessity due to the modernizing world; a society requires change in order to remain stable. But, how much are we as individuals willing to sacrifice for total equality?
