CIVIL RIGHTS

CIVIL RIGHTS

Equality is significant when it comes to civil rights. Civil rights is all about equality and the fairness and respect we treat each other, our families, and how the government treats us. Equality does not just single out a group or community of people but brings us together no matter what's going on in the world. Thomas Jefferson , John Hancock , Samuel Adams and others are what we call freedom fighters who fought for liberty for every American citizen. These men owned slaves and still realized that we should not be discriminated against because of the color of your skin , hence "all men are created equal.

The Declaration of Independence was a very historical and important document that created what the United States of America is today. The Declaration of Independence was important because it gave every man equal opportunity in The United States whether black or white. It declared independence from Great Britain, even if war would have to take place. Thomas Jefferson was given the most credit for the historical document, various others had significant input as well.

Civil Rights have come very far from the past 3 decades, schools restaurants and other social related places are far more integrated. In 2008 America elected an African-American president for the first time in the history of the United States. The article "Have He Overcome" by Rachel L. Swarns explains to the American people that even though we have came far from the civil rights movement we still have work to do. She points out that Barrack Obama's victory in becoming president was a stepping stone and minorities can not lay back and ignore the racism, segregation, and educational disadvantages we still go through.

Bill Cosby's NCAA conference "Pound Cake" speech highlights the wrong doings of the African-American people. Bill Cosby emphasizes his rage with todays youth and the direction they are taking. He is outraged by the parenting of black people and how different it has become since the Civil Rights movement. Those people fought for an education and today's kids do not even want to learn. Morally the parents are just as wrong for the child to become dead or end up in prison. According to Bill Cosby's speech he points out there is a 50% rate of blacks going to jail, he blames that on bad parenting.

The story "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. explains the extreme measures a society would have to go through for everyone to become equal. The story emphasizes that to be equal everyone would have to give up what they are good at. It is there that we are are wrong, equality has little or nothing to do with the competition of outdoing one another but the treatment we receive while trying to compete with others. we should not be chastised for what we want to pursue in life and thats where fairness and equality fall into place.

The poem "What Happens To a Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes is closely related to the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream speech. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream of equality through all nations sweep the world. Martin Luther King Jr. did not live to see his dream come true, but his dream made a major difference in the world to stop discrimination. Langston Hughes speaks on a different era of civil rights in which it was a full blown outlook and perspective on African-American's to be discriminated against in school's, public transportation, and especially the south. Langston Hughes breaks down a broken dream and what would eventually happen to it. It is obvious Langston and Martin had similar views and hopes on the fairness we should all be treated with. Sojourner Truth's poem "Ain't I a Women?" informs us on how women would be treated so differently from men because of their sexuality. She states she can do anything a man can do and take the same punishment. Sojourner Truth expresses her sadness about her 13 children given up for slavery and says not one person heard her cries except Jesus Christ and will not accept being treated unequal because she is a woman.

John Hope Franklin is a prolific scholar of African-American history that helped the civil rights progression. John Hope worked with Martin Luther Kings jr Thurgood Marshall, Dr.Franklin also participated in the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama with Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Franklin’s first passion was teaching he continued to teach even after excelling a teachers requirements. John Hope Franklin's hobby was to collect orchids he even had an orchid named after himself named the Phalaenopsis John Hope Franklin.

Barack Obama's speech on race traces back to the origins of this nation. America's founding fathers are founding fathers to every American citizen no matter what nationality, size, shape or color because they paved the way for the opportunities we are capable of taking advantage of and bettering everyone else along the way as well. The skeptics on slavery were answered right in the constitution but America is not perfect although we come to understand that striving for perfection can only lead us further into progression. Barack Obama encourages a change not only with in our selves but a change we can make contagious throughout all races. This would give Native-American,African- American,Hispanic, and Asian children the proper support in leading the nation in the upcoming future. Barack obama calls out for unity among everyone and that thats were perfection begins.

The beer summit was an idea that the image of reconciliation was just as good as reconciliation itself, and if Barack Obama could have introduced his health care summit just as convincing he would get the health care summit passed. We can not put the pressure of doing everything for this country on one man but he does have the most responsibility because he represents the American people. Barack Obama like every other president has mad promises he cant keep but Barack Obama has the potential to fulfill his promises and thats where the disappointment begins. Barack proved he can co-exist with Republicans by even meeting with them but who is to say they did not pull of another stunt. Barack Obama has the potential and power to get his Health Care summit passed and it just might be what the United States needs.

Concluding civil rights can not be done because we are always fighting for equal rights til this day. civil rights and equal opportunities is not a rule it is an installation that should be granted to each and every indivisual. Civil rights include: Ensuring physical integrity and safety; Protection from discrimination such as gender, religion, race, sexual orientation, national origin, age, immigrant status, and Equal access to health care, education, and culture. Everday we are seeking equality because we as people strive for perfection and all these martyr's who sacfrificed their lives to ensure the possibility of justice and fairness will be for a cause, the cause of eqaulity. pacers792@aol.com
© Kremlys Gutierrez