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Although the first 10 Amendments to the United States of America Constitution are called the Bill of Rights and are considered the most important paragraph ever written, many contend that the 4th and the 14th are of equal importance, guaranteeing the rights of all Americans. Sometimes the 14th Amendment appears to be forgotten since it is not part of the Bill of Rights.
The 1st Amendment’s significance cannot be overstated. It is a summation of the most important human rights guarantees and equal rights for all Americans. It also protects the press, who are expected to report governmental corruption. Finally, the right to vote for all American citizens is the most important and influential of all and must be protected when needed, preventing the exclusion of any individual.
Congress passed the basic promises offered by the 14th on June 13, 1866, and ratified on July 9, 1868:
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Note the capitalization of the word “State.” This refers to the federal government and therefore guarantees enforcement by individual states. The keywords are “equal protection under the laws.”
Not only do the 1st, 4th, and 14th Amendments protect the individual rights of all Americans but they also define elected officials’ limitations and describe the consequences of breaking election rules.
The Founding Fathers’ intent was for every citizen to have a voice in the government. Accordingly, they established a democratic republic in which the people would elect representatives to serve the needs and wishes of the majority.
Their concerns were the right to free speech, the ability to practice the religion of choice, and the right to vote and protest when the government acts in a way that violates these rights.
The Constitution’s architects further allowed for privacy protection in every legal situation and prevented the government from violating those rights without due process. Most importantly, it promises that no American citizen, regardless of race, creed, color, sex, or possession of wealth, would receive treatment unequal to any other under the U.S. judicial system.
In courts, minorities and the poor are treated differently than the rich and powerful. Punishment for comparable crimes reveals that the white, rich, and powerful receive little or no punishment for the same alleged crimes committed by minorities and the less fortunate.
The Constitution must be equally enforced to remain relevant to the nation’s future. All Americans deserve equal treatment under the law and fair treatment when faced with legal action.
The reality of there being two Americas must end. No one is above the law, and no one can be allowed to receive special treatment because of their wealth, color of skin, or political power.
When the men and women privileged to sit on America’s U.S. Supreme Court put on their robes, they must leave politics and personal beliefs behind. Every issue brought before them must be judged fairly according to its relationship to the U.S. Constitution. Justices must not render legal decisions based on public opinion or the nation’s current political atmosphere.
The Constitution means nothing if a single member of the Supreme Court refuses to apply these principles to every issue it decides; it is “the law of the land.”
It is unacceptable for government representatives to violate the Constitution. Yet, in the 21st century, elected officials pick and choose what they support. That is contrary to the oath taken when sworn into office. However, it is egregious when a member of the Supreme Court makes a single decision based only on personal opinion; it affects all 330 million Americans.
The entire Constitution becomes invalid when the government ignores the 14th Amendment — it happens too often. For example, the poor, minorities, and women seldom receive equal protection. Moreover, until the government upholds the Constitution, America will never be a great nation.
All too often, politicians attempt to place personal beliefs into our laws. Most of the time, those protect special interests and ignore the needs of the majority. However, citizens can see governmental corruption and vote accordingly when they choose to be informed.
As U.S. voters, it is best to ignore political parties. Instead, they should select candidates whose ideas closely align with their own and their loved ones. Americans deserve elected officials who will place the rights of the many ahead of the rights of the few.
The rights guaranteed by the 1st, 4th and 14th Amendments will be ignored unless “we, the people,” remain involved in what happens in Washington. An informed voter is an influential citizen.
Op-ed by James Turnage
CONGRESS.GOV: Browse the Constitution Annotated; Fourteenth Amendment
CONGRESS.GOV: Constitution of the United States; Fourth Amendment
NATIONAL ARCHIVES: 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Civil Rights (1868)
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Second Inset Image by Nathan Dumlao Courtesy of Unsplash