As a child born in the mid-1990s, I grew up hearing constant debates in the news about human rights. The word “equality” is thrown around so casually that it seems like there will always be protests and riots over topics like sexuality and race. Looking back, I realize that the issues that American citizens are so focused on are our basic human rights as outlined in the Declaration of Independence. Over the past twenty years, attitudes have changed and discrimination against homosexuals and African-Americans has lessened. As a country, we are slowly moving closer to what our Founding Fathers envisioned the Declaration of Independence would truly be: a document that everyone can look back on with pride knowing that it guaranteed their rights and security, but we are bringing it our own 21st century touch. it.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Back in 1996, and Americans are reading their newspapers, being informed that Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, which says that, by law, marriage is "the union between one man and a woman. Gay people were obviously offended, because how are you supposed to react when you tell them there's something wrong with them falling in love? It wasn't until 2000, when Vermont became the first state to legalize not marriage but same-sex partnerships, that some realized that equality isn't really there in the United States. . I was 10 years old when the news channels finally held presidential forums. focused on LGBT issues. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” are words we have all heard and believe we understand, and it is now taken into consideration that love constitutes happiness, for there is nothing more beautiful than to see two people perfectly satisfied with their lives. their marriage. Vice President Joe Biden has spoken out on the issue, saying the Declaration's promise can be achieved by treating gay people equally. Growing up in the 2000s, I constantly heard about equality, and it seems like my peers have a lot less hatred towards the LGBT community than previous generations, and it only makes me realize how different we are closer to finally understanding the Declaration of Independence. . - With all the talk about equality, the topic of race is always brought up, and with that comes anger and frustration at the ignorance of those who continue to treat people differently based on their color. skin. It seems like it took us over 200 years to finally understand the definition of equality, a topic addressed in the Declaration of Independence. America is one of the most powerful countries in the world, but we were blind to the extent of white privilege present in our country. Being white means never having to think about it, and it becomes an issue of equality when someone is called "white" because they have finally been labeled, something they never had to think about before. Perhaps this is why there has been such controversy over racial equality in recent years. Hate crimes have and always will be a problem in our country, but with recent events such as the Ferguson affair and the assassination of Michael Brown, the number of protests has increased. Just a few days ago I was on my favorite blog site and every other post was focused on the lack of equality in America. More and more people are starting.