A Vision Achieved From Jefferson Essay, Research Paper

A Vision Achieved

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.