In America, there is a very large gap between the fundamental values embedded in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution and the discriminatory practices that have occurred in the past and are currently being presented today. If these documents are supposed to preach egalitarianism, liberty, and “all men are created equal”, how is it possible we have allowed the existence of things in America like slavery, racial discrimination, and gender discrimination? These documents for centuries have sculpted the ways in which we have progressed socially, however, what they stand for represents a progression that has lead our country down the wrong path.
The fundamental value and most expressed statement in the Declaration of Independence is, “all men are created equal; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. This document preaches for equality and is the backbone for our set of American values, but yet discrimination has existed throughout our entire history and still continues to this day. These values are taught and learned by the American people through such documents as the Declaration of Independence, however these documents are embodying an idea that us as people do not seem to possess. Not only is this document extremely hypocritical, especially when it is looked at and compared to discriminatory practices in our country, such as: slavery, racial discrimination, and gender discrimination, but it is written by people who had practiced discrimination throughout their own lives. It seems as though equality is a vision in America and for the American people, but it is one that is not fully executed or taken seriously. It is so important to think about the minds and personalities behind the Declaration of Independence, and who those people were. Thomas Jefferson, the largest contributor to the document, was himself, a slave-owner. The