“Freedom is not safety, but opportunity”
Zechariah Chafee, Jr.
It’s appropriate at this time of year to reflect on a myth of our American heritage … one which holds our nation was established by people who sought to carve out a land of equality for themselves and their descendants. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.
From the time the first permanent European settlers stepped foot on American soil, some members of their groups, by virtue of their lineage, station and/or wealth, were more equal than their peers. Even when studying the native American peoples who preceded them, similar dynamics existed. Each of these early American societies followed historical patterns, wherein individuals whose heritage, actions and opinions conformed to racial, ethnic, religious and societal norms had greater acceptance and, thus more opportunities than their “rebellious” counterparts.
But, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence and its revolutionary language suggesting, “all men were created equal … endowed … with certain inalienable Rights“, fifty-six white, Anglo-Saxon men began to reshape the way a nation viewed and treated its people. Twelve years later, the Constitution reinforced a similar concept, albeit in a somewhat less affirmative manner, as it sought to “establish justice … and secure the blessings of liberty“.
However, not until 1791, with the ratification of the Bill of Rights, did our government provided powerful guarantees regarding the rights of its citizens. Yet, curiously, none of these fundamental documents prescribed the requisites of citizenship.
It wasn’t until the 1868 ratification of the 14th Amendment that citizenship was first defined … interestingly, at the same time the “due process” and “equal protection” clauses were added. Still, “Indians” were excluded, women would have to wait another fifty-two years before gaining universal suffrage and millions of recently freed slaves entered a political twilight zone from which they have only recently emerged.
During the last forty years, the twenty-fourth and twenty-sixth Amendments, numerous acts of Congress and a handful landmark Supreme Court decisions have further expanded and equalized the rights for all Americans. This progress, although often slow and punctuated by tragic incidents, has continued unabated … and will hopefully continue until all such disparities are extinguished.
Until recently these universal guarantees of individual rights and freedoms focused on providing equality of opportunity of all. However, a new social phenomenon has encroached into this process.
A growing number of single-issue, pressure groups are now promoting their causes as “rights”, implying that to deny their aims is tantamount to condoning unconstitutional behavior. Others, including the politically correct social engineers, have determined the concept equal opportunity is not sufficient. Their agenda encompasses equality of outcomes, a prostituted application of Marxist theories which have proven unmitigated disasters and invariably stifled, if not eliminated the very freedoms permitting these activists to articulate such nonsense.
Both groups seek to use a sound-bite hungry media and what they perceive as the bumper-sticker mentality of many Americans to pressure Congress into enacting laws which further their narrow agendas and creating “rights” for people otherwise unable to achieve desired ends through hard work or due to a lack of ability or just good fortune. It’s basically another thinly veiled attempt at the redistribution of American wealth.
In truth, all individuals are not created equal! Some are smarter, better looking, stronger, more artistic, more articulate, more creative, and/or more ambitious than others. These traits can’t be legislated or endowed by government fiat … and, although some can be acquired, others are simply inherited.
Few of these “equal rights” extremists would argue there are more than a handful of people who possess the physical abilities of Michael Jordan, photographic skills of Ansel Adams, operatic voice of Beverly Sills, constitutional knowledge of Barbara Jordan, or scientific mind of Luis Pawling. Each developed their innate skills and interests, overcame the obstacles, and eventually accomplished great things. they needed the opportunities … the rest was up to them.
All Americans must enjoy guarantees of equal opportunities within our society … and then only a minimal number of other benefits, perhaps including some access to basic health care services. That’s the American Promise!
The choices individuals then make are theirs alone … as are the responsibilities for living with the consequences of their decisions and actions.
