Persuasive Essay On The 14th Amendment

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The United States Constitution is a powerful document, outlining many rights offered and obligations assumed both by the government and citizens alike. This document allows for changes to be made through an amendment process in the House of Representatives and Senate.1 Over the years, a total of twenty-seven revisions have been passed, some much more successful than others. The 14th Amendment was written specifically to protect many American citizens, who, prior to that time, had received little, if any, security from the government. Unfortunately, while admirable in concept, the 14th Amendment has not been as effective as was intended. How has this amendment failed the citizens it was written to protect? When discussing the 14th Amendment, it is imperative to understand exactly what this revision was supposed to guarantee. There are five points in this amendment to consider, although, for this paper, only Sections One, Two, and Five will be examined. Section One states any person born or naturalized in America is to be considered a citizen.1 Regarding citizens, the states are not able to pass or enforce any law which may infringe on the privileges or immunities granted by citizenship.1 Further, no citizen can be denied life, liberty, or property without due process, and all citizens are granted equal protection under the law.1 Section Two apportions the number of representatives to each area based on the number of persons in that area.1 Section Five grants Congress the provisions to enforce the provisions set forth in the rest of the Amendment.1 What sounds like such a wonderfully simple concept, is not as straightforward as it should be. The 14th Amendment was ratified on July 28, 1868, shortly after the Civil War ended. I... ... middle of paper ... ... and inequalities, faced by both immigrants and American-born individuals, has never been successful. Met with strong opposition from its ratification, the 14th Amendment never stood a chance at being fully realized. Disparity and discrimination are still common. Due process has been denied because citizens may be of a certain race or religion. Punishments and wages are nowhere near equal. A brief scan through current civil rights news articles reveals many more examples of other, similar injustices. Apportionment of representation is skewed, due, in large part, to a flawed census system. Congress was granted the specific power to right these violations; however, their track record shows quite a bit of dormancy. While a wonderful concept, intended to protect all American citizens, the 14th Amendment has not been nearly as successful as its creators would have hoped.

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