Jefferson envisioned a government that allowed its
citizens to exercise inalienable rights. In exact words,
he states, “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these
are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” To be
more evident, how can we define these “inalienable rights”
of “life”, “liberty”, and the “pursuit of happiness?” Have
these inalienable rights, achieved Jefferson’s goal? I am
convinced, Jefferson’s revolutionary vision of life,
liberty, and happiness has at last been achieved in
America.
Life is a precious gift given to us the moment we are
born and Thomas Jefferson knew this. We can define life as
having respect for ourselves and others, accepting our
individuality, not judging certain groups or individuals,
and being able to exercise our morals and beliefs. Living
in America, we are allowed to live these rights of “life”.
The United States has become a very diverse nation. In
being so diverse, the lives and beliefs of many different
cultures here in America are accepted. One major example,
is religion. Jews and Arabs, who are enemies in there
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countries, live in the United States in harmony. Another
example are the Muslims and Hindu’s, who hate and kill
each other in their countries, and yet can live in America
side by side in peace because of Thomas Jefferson’s vision
of “Life”. I come from a very diverse background. My
father, who is a Palestinian, married my mother, who is
Guatemalan. This issue here is that my father, living the
life of following his own cultural beliefs and not being
able to marry unless a wife is chosen for him, went on to
marry my mother. This is easily attainable in the United
States but in his country it would be unacceptable. Life
is complicated! Our values, morals, and attitudes justify
our lives and how we live our life.
Freedom of slavery, captivity, or any other form of
arbitrary control can help define the right of “Liberty”.
We have the right to not feel confined, but permitted to
act freely. My Grandfather, who lived in Guatemala, was
shot, by guerrilla terrorists, because of his political
beliefs and defending his homestead. Today, we the people,
have the right to speak freely, express our most intimate
thoughts on political or even sexual preferences without
being shot or even having the fear of being shot. A great
example of “Liberty” was displayed by Martin Luther King.
He was the greatest leader of the black movement in the
50’s and 60’s. If it wasn’t for Thomas Jefferson’s idea of
the inalienable right of “Liberty”, Martin Luther King
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would have never have had the chance to lead his people to
freedom with the same idea. The Constitution of the United
States has been the supreme law of this nation since 1788.
It is a system of fundamental laws and defines distinct powers
for the Congress of the United States, the president, and the
federal courts. This division of authority is known as a system
of checks and balances, and it ensures that none of the branches
of government can dominate the others. The Constitution also
establishes and limits the authority of the federal government
over the states and spells out freedoms and liberties for
American citizens. There are no longer slaves in America, we
are not held captive, and we are not under any control
that takes away our liberty, or freedom. Our history and
past leaders have lead us, the people of America, to our
rights of “Liberty” today.
It is the right for every individual to achieve their
own happiness. This was Thomas Jefferson’s greatest ideal.
IT is through this ideal that the individual in America
has become a productive and responsible citizen. When a
human being has found true happiness it is at this level
that he is at his best. For example, I find happiness
within myself when I am focused on my goals and ultimately
achieve them. It is then, that I feel that I need to be a
more responsible citizen and give to the community, or
society what I am also achieving in my own life. I
dedicate time to others who are not as fortunate as
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myself. Another example in history, was Mr. Thomas
Jefferson himself. His pursuit of happiness was achieved
by declaring his own independence and sharing his ideals
of the “pursuit of Happiness” for the future of America in
the Declaration of Independence. We all find happiness in
different ways. The first place to truly find happiness is
within ourselves and when we do, we can pursue anything.
A vision, seen by Jefferson, of having a government
that allows us to exercise our right of life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness has been accomplished. We live in
the only country, where our inalienable rights and
freedoms, are justified and followed by our Constitution.
Jefferson authored one of the most memorable statements in
American history: the Declaration of Independence. From
this, he took the first step of speaking his vision and
leading, us citizens, to the inalienable rights of life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

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