Liberty is the freedom and right to pursue what makes you happy without it affecting others in a harmful way; or at least this is how the early American colonists and our founding fathers defined liberty. Few years after they came to the new world, the American colonists realized it was freedom and independence that would be key necessities in establishing their ideal society. Because of this realization and strive to make it happen, this idea soon built America; however, does it continue to do so?For the Founders, Liberty was not new but, like their symbol the Liberty Tree, deeply rooted and long established among them. By 1776, some families had been in America for 170 years, and American Liberty was something they had always possessed (The
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This became a governmental and social priority in their quest to establish their own country; a nation where people could practice any religion they pleased (although it was founded on Christianity), and a place where their happiness could be pursued. The founding fathers had a specific idea of whom America would grow to be, therefore made certain rights and freedoms possible for all citizens of the nation. Therefore, a proper constitution was needed to secure these rights in place. The need for the Constitution grew out of problems with the Articles of Confederation, which established a "firm league of friendship" between the states, and vested most power in a Congress of the Confederation(The Constitution …show more content…
When liberty was defined during the time of the early American colonists, it was meant to be the freedom and right to pursue what makes you happy without it affecting others in a harmful way. Is this still the same way our America government of today defines liberty? I do not believe we as Americans still have the right to this interpretation of liberty because mostly now, we seem to be giving up our rights so that others can have theirs. For example, in 2013, the owners of a bakery learned there is a significant price to pay for following their religious beliefs. Aaron and Melissa Klein, the owners of Sweet Cakes Bakery, were ordered to pay $135,000 in damages to a lesbian couple after they refused to bake them a wedding cake (Starnes 2015). However, our first amendment right states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…(First Amendment - U.S. Constitution - FindLaw)” By punishing people for practicing their religion by not supporting someone else’s views/wishes, was their first amendment right truly violated? Indeed, it was; their Christian views do not support gay marriage, therefore they should not be forced to go against their beliefs of that aspect to support someone else’s views. Do situations such as these, having our rights and privileges slandered and taken, occur often in America?
This became a governmental and social priority in their quest to establish their own country; a nation where people could practice any religion they pleased (although it was founded on Christianity), and a place where their happiness could be pursued. The founding fathers had a specific idea of whom America would grow to be, therefore made certain rights and freedoms possible for all citizens of the nation. Therefore, a proper constitution was needed to secure these rights in place. The need for the Constitution grew out of problems with the Articles of Confederation, which established a "firm league of friendship" between the states, and vested most power in a Congress of the Confederation(The Constitution …show more content…
When liberty was defined during the time of the early American colonists, it was meant to be the freedom and right to pursue what makes you happy without it affecting others in a harmful way. Is this still the same way our America government of today defines liberty? I do not believe we as Americans still have the right to this interpretation of liberty because mostly now, we seem to be giving up our rights so that others can have theirs. For example, in 2013, the owners of a bakery learned there is a significant price to pay for following their religious beliefs. Aaron and Melissa Klein, the owners of Sweet Cakes Bakery, were ordered to pay $135,000 in damages to a lesbian couple after they refused to bake them a wedding cake (Starnes 2015). However, our first amendment right states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…(First Amendment - U.S. Constitution - FindLaw)” By punishing people for practicing their religion by not supporting someone else’s views/wishes, was their first amendment right truly violated? Indeed, it was; their Christian views do not support gay marriage, therefore they should not be forced to go against their beliefs of that aspect to support someone else’s views. Do situations such as these, having our rights and privileges slandered and taken, occur often in America?