Right to life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness Essay

Right to life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness - Essay Example 1. Introduction. This paper highlights the various groups whose rights to life, pursuit of happiness, and liberty are breached. It describes these groups and provides a solution on how to ensure their rights are not breached. Theses Statement: In United States of America who still do not enjoy the right to liberty, life and pursuit to happiness, and they are gays and lesbians, death row convicts, and immigrants (Hispanics/ Latinos/ and African Americans). 11. Gay and Lesbians. Gays and Lesbians are discriminated upon in terms of their right to liberty and pursuit of happiness. This section looks at the defense marriage act of 1996, and how it affected the rights of the gay people. This section also looks at the efforts of the civil rights groups in protecting the interests of this vulnerable group. 111. Death Row Convicts. Death Row conflicts are denied the right to live. This section looks at the case laws that established the penalty, and the constitutional requirements. It depicts the ways of ensuring that this sentence is abolished in the member states of the Federation. IV. Hispanics/ Latinos/ African Americans These groups of people are discriminated upon in terms of employment and access to social facilities such as decent housing and education. This denies them the right to pursue happiness. It identifies the various ways of solving their problems, and ensuring that they are accepted within the society. V. Opposing View Points. It identifies the viewpoints of other researchers in relation to the groups of people whose rights to life, pursuit of happiness and liberty are breached. It identifies and explains the roles of the civil rights act of 1968, and the fair housing act in protecting the rights of these vulnerable people. VI. Counter Arguments. This section highlights my opinion concerning the observations of this group of people. VII. Conclusion. This part contains a summary of the main points addressed in the essay. Introduction The declaration of independence gives out the reasons as to why the people of North America sought independence from the British. The document was written by Thomas Jefferson, and it denotes that there are certain human rights which are not negotiable, and they include the right to liberty, pursuit of happiness, and the right to life (Jefferson and Sam, 31). The document further states that it is the duty of government to protect these rights, and failure to do so, people must overthrow the same government. In defending this assertion, the thirteen states of North America formed a constitution in 1787 that guaranteed these rights to its citizens. Despite advances in this area, there are other people in United States of America who still do not enjoy the right to liberty, life and pursuit to happiness, and they are gays and lesbians, death row convicts, and immigrants (Hispanics/ Latinos/ and African Americans). Gay and Lesbians Same sex marriages has experienced a lot of debate in United States of Ame rica, with some States enacting laws in recognition to the marriage, while others do not recognize such kind of a marriage. The American constitution under article IV, section 1, denotes that the Federal government has to respect the judicial proceedings and laws of the member states of the federation. Because of this clause, the United States Federal government recognizes various marriage practices conducted by the State governments, however in 1996, the United States Congress passed the defense of marriage act (Jefferson and Sam, 35). It gave the Federal government authority not to recognize same sex marriages, even if the marriage occurred in a State whose laws permit it. On this basis therefore, this law prevents people from enjoying their rights to liberty and pursuit to