Alexis Merritt Mr.

Brown English 1301 October 28, 2013

Lies, Chains, and Unhappiness

The Constitution guarantees us our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That is all (Ventura 16 ). "The whole of the Bill (of Rights) is a declaration of the right of the people... It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of" (Madisonbrigade.org). Quotes, like the ones above, are wishful dreams, our so called unalienable rights are very much something that all humans should have. However, when reality kicks in, we have responsibility to the greater good over the individual. Subsequently, your rights can be taken from you an example is the Casey Anthony case. In this case, the right of happiness was taken from Casey when she was given jail time. If I can be forced to do something that conflicts with my life, librity, or pursuit of happiness, then how are they the inalienable rights? The answer, these rights are not an inalienable rights, no matter how much we wish they were. Admittedly, I have the right to speed my free time, or how I wish to speed my money any which way I chose. However, I do not have the right to go out and party the night away; As a child under the age of eighteen, I must attend school or else I will be made to serve jail time. Serving jail time, and being forced to attend school are things that are against my so called, inalienable rights, the right of the pursuit of happiness. In addition, to your pursuit of happiness, you have the right of liberty, this is another right easily removed from you, even though it is referred as an inalienable. Yes, I can say what I please, and do as I please. However, I must pay taxes in order to earn this right. If I truly have the inalienable right of liberty, the power to do as one pleases( merriam-webster), then why must I pay taxes? Forcing someone else into doing something is in a way making them out to be a slave to you. Yet, liberty is an inalienable right.

Alexis Merritt Mr. Brown English 1301 October 28, 2013

Next, the right of life, this is a right robbed from many people for the supposed betterment of mankind, and its people, or to follow a religious reason. Example, The Trail of Tears during the winter of 1831. "It gives me pleasure to announce... policy of the Government removal of the Indians beyond the white settlements is approaching to a happy consummation." (loc.gov.org). This shows how the inalienable right of life was robbed from Americans. Approximately 4,000 Cherokees died on this forced march (loc.gov.org). All of those rights the were stolen, for the betterment of a few americans. In other words, the human races so called unalienable are rights that are not guaranteed. Your right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness are rights in progress, and the rights of many must come before the rights of individuals. This is my plea to you, do not take you given rights for granted. Do not assume these given rights must, from now until forever be yours, and that they can not be taken from you. This shows that our unalienable rights are rights that are not inalienable. The Constitution guarantees us our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That is all (Ventura 16 ), It does not say that they are given freely.

Alexis Merritt Mr. Brown English 1301 October 28, 2013

Wayne LaPierre. Madisonbrigade.com. James Madison Research Library and Information Center, Tuesday, October 29, 2013. Web. Tuesday, october 29, 2013. Ventura, Jesse. Aint Got Time to Bleed. New York: Penguin, 2000. print.
Loc.gov.org Library of Congress. Web. Monday, November 4, 2013. "Liberty." merriam-webster. encyclopaedia britannica, n.d. Web. 2013. Monday, November 4,