The Fairness In Freedom

“All citizens of a state cannot be equally powerful, but they may be equally free.” Voltaire

Two hundred and thirty-three years ago a small band of valiant men & women began a long struggle for freedom. They pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, not only to found a nation, but to forge an ideal of freedom; not only for political independence, but for personal liberty; not only to eliminate foreign rule, but to establish the rule of justice in the affairs of men. That struggle was a turning point in our history. Today in far corners of distant continents, the ideals of those stated American patriots to explore and shape the American Nation into a sense of freedom; through the ‘Melting-Pot, Democracy & Equality’ hypocrisy tail still shape the struggles of men who hunger for freedom in other countries. Freedom for our American Nation as it stands in today’s society is currently described as, ‘fairness’. An American History of gaining slaves freedom has shaped itself into the mask of being able to be equated with fairness against others of a different race. Truly this would be a proud triumph for our American county to gain development & positive practice on. Yet those who founded our country knew that freedom would be secure only if each generation fought to renew it and enlarge its meaning.

From the Minutemen at Concord to the soldiers in Vietnam, to our current war on Iraq; each generation has been equal to that trust. This trust is embedded in the assurance that the United States Government will reform this nation into a true demonstration of a ‘Melting Pot, Democracy & Equality’ truth. Americans of every race and color have died in battle to protect the ideology of freedom. Americans of every race and color have worked to build a nation of widening opportunities. Now our generation of Americans has been called on to continue the unending search for justice within our own borders. We believe that all men are created equal, yet many are denied equal treatment. Fairness is now our illusionist view of freedom. We believe that all men have certain unalienable rights. Yet many Americans do not enjoy those rights. We believe that all men are entitled to the blessings of liberty. Yet millions are being deprived of the blessings with held in liberty to pursue your dreams. Unfortunately, it’s not because of their own personal failures, but only because of the color of their skin. The reasons are deeply imbedded in our American history and the American tradition encouraged through the nature of a American man’s greed.

The purpose of the American law is simple. It does not restrict the freedom of any American so long as he respects the rights of others. It does not give special treatment to any citizen. It does say that those who are equal before god shall also be equal in places that provide service to the public. We do not approach the observance and enforcement of this law in a vengeful spirit. Its purpose is not to punish. Its purpose is not to divide but to end divisions. Its purpose is national, not regional. Its purpose is to promote a more abiding commitment to freedom, a more constant pursuit of justice and a deeper respect for human dignity. No single act of Congress can by itself eliminate, discrimination and prejudice, hatred and injustice. But an act of Congress can go further to invest the rights of man with the protection of law than any legislation in this entire century. Because first, it provides a code carefully designed to test and enforce the right of every American to go to school, for every American to get a job, for every American to vote and to pursue his life unhampered by the barriers of racial discrimination. Second, it educates all Americans to the responsibility to give equal treatment to their fellow citizens. Third, it enlists one of the most powerful moral forces of American society on the side of civil rights; which is the moral obligation to respect and obey the law of the land. Fourth, and perhaps the most important, this act is a renewal and a reinforcement, a symbol and a strengthening of that abiding commitment to man’s dignity and man’s equality, which always has been the guiding purpose of the American Nation. This law is the product, not of any man or group of men, but of a broad national consensus that every person is entitled to justice, to equality, and to a chance to enjoy the blessings of liberty.

The Civil Rights Act is a challenge to men of good will to transform the commands of our law into the customs of our land. It is a challenge to all of us to go to work in our states, in our communities, in our homes, and most of all, in the depths of our hearts, to eliminate the final strongholds of intolerance and hatred. It is a challenge to reach beyond the content of the bill, to conquer the barriers of poor education, poverty, squalid housing; which are legacies of past injustice and impediments to future advance. It sets goals to improve the lives of all underprivileged Americans. Fulfillment of rights and prevention of disorder go hand in hand. Resort to violence blocks the path to racial justice. We must maintain law and order among our own citizens. Those who would hold back progress toward equality and, at the same time, promise racial peace, are deluding themselves and the people. Orderly progress and exact enforcement of law is the only path towards an end of racial strife.
Johnson, L. (1964) My Hope For America.