We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident...Until We Don't

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For most of its history, the United States has been a country filled with false promises. The Declaration of Independence, written by Founding Father and later President Thomas Jefferson—a slave owner—stated that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The irony of this statement is thick, but it has also fueled hope for equal rights.

Moreover, the first sentence of the Constitution says this: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Whether the issue has been slavery, women’s suffrage, desegregation, religious freedom, or financial assistance to the poor, the citizens of the United States have had to fight for everything that the Declaration of Independence and ensuing Constitution allegedly guarantee.

How can someone experience the liberty of the American dream if they’re judged and underrepresented because of their race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, or health? The point that I’m trying to make is although the United States and its citizens have made tangible progress in becoming a more acceptable people, even more so than other regions of the world that are much less diverse than we are, we still have a long way to go before we can live up to the text of our founding documents. 

I feel inclined to write this because of the contemporary discourse surrounding people who are simply minding their business. The Trump administration’s battle with Harvard University’s admittance of international students is one of the clearest examples to highlight when discussing the country’s ongoing decline of acceptance. 

In my case, I attend the University of Louisville’s College of Business with the intent to receive a master’s in business analytics. Relative to my time spent in the political science program at UofL earning a bachelor’s and master’s, there are many, many more international students in my cohort, comprising about 60% of the total students in the program. They come from all over–Ireland, Colombia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, India, China, you name it. Getting to know these people on a personal level has only confirmed what I’ve already believed: we’re all just people, no matter our culture and upbringing. These people are talented and want to build a fruitful life in America. They want to experience the American dream. What reason is there to stop them? Besides Native Americans, we were all immigrants looking for a better life at some point, therefore, what is there to be prejudicial and hateful about? Absolutely nothing, yet people unfortunately still find a way. 

On a different note, the attacks and perceptions of those in the LGTBQ+ community is honestly enraging. Banning transgender people from participating in the military, attempting to once again place the legality of same-sex marriage back with the states, and renormalizing gay slurs with the intent to alienate these groups is despicable. Some Conservatives propagate beliefs that the government should stay out of their lives as often as possible, yet they have now personified cancel culture. Many Conservative politicians and citizens (though certainly not all) are trying to or already have banned books, call everything they disagree with “woke,” ignore court rulings that go against the agenda of the Trump administration while joyfully proclaiming that they killed Roe v. Wade, want to slash financial assistance to poor people while cutting taxes for the rich, etc. It’s not “don’t tread on me,” it’s “don’t tread on the way I want to make people live.” 

On a more personal note, my sister is in a same-sex marriage while residing in southern Kentucky, which is clearly not as accepting of her relationship as places like New York or even Louisville. Thinking of that scares me, as those who live around her may have a hatred of her simply because of her sexuality. I worry about how she may have a target on her back in her community just because she’s living how she wants to. For those who would argue that their religion is the justification for them having these prejudicial beliefs, and I know several who have made that point, I ask why the hell do you care? What do my sister’s decisions and livelihood have to do with yours? What if I took us back in time to a point where you would be persecuted and killed for practicing the very religion that you now use to justify your prejudices? It doesn’t seem fair or justified, which is why it always feels like a weak excuse to me. 

Some people may find this article controversial, but what’s polarizing about arguing people should be able to live how they want? Obviously, this isn’t about condoning harm or murder. But nobody should be ostracized for their race, religion, sexuality, or gender identity. We have enough problems to worry about in our own lives, so stop trying to control how others live their lives.