Human Dignity In Michael Apted's Amazing Grace '

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”(Genesis 1:27). Abba, our loving and compassionate God endowed humans with a spirit and intellect like no other creature. Therefore, humans are given a mind that is able to hear, comprehend God's message to us, and emotions that make it possible to respond to our God in love and piety. Lastly, God gave us a choice to obey him or not. The movie “Amazing Grace” directed by Michael Apted, brings us back to the era between the 1780s and early 1800s where William Wilberforce, a British politician and abolitionist and his best friend William Pitt, the Prime Minister of England erupt a tough battle to abolish the Great Britain’s slave trade.

Therefore, every human has an essential right to life and a right to the necessities required for basic human dignity. These rights are responsibilities to one another, to family, and to humanity. William Wilberforce reminds us of this when he says, "Great indeed are our opportunities; great also is our responsibility" (Wilberforce AG). At Williams dinner after Thomas Clarkson explains how slaves are chained and trapped into tight enclosures, Equiano explains how the slaves were auctioned off and treated, he reminisces, “The chains are not unlocked till you reach ?the plantation in Jamaica, Around half of the slaves dead already, in the markets they stuff rope into those anuses who are sick to disguise the dysentery, when you reach the plantation they put irons to the fire and do this to let you know that you no longer belong to God but to a man” (Equiano AG). The slaves remain immobilized until the destination is reached, about fifty percent of the slaves boarded are dead and those who are left are sick, they stuff rope up their bottoms to hide their runs. When the slaves arrive to their plantation, they brand them to remind them that they no longer belong to God but to a master. Slavery violates our God given rights to live, to family, to education and our rights to thrive. Slaves could not defend themselves, nor could they defend their loved ones, they were unable to form and maintain healthy families because they were sold away from each other. Slaves could not practice their own religion, could not keep their names, they were not given the opportunity to learn how to read or write, they had no right to choose who to love, women in most instances were raped and abused by their masters, slaves had no opportunity to participate in any piece of politics. Slaves were treated as pets to their owners, they had no concern of their live because