America was founded on the principals of freedom. Our founding fathers were trying to escape oppression that they were facing In their country of Britain at the time. The lack of freedoms that the citizens had was a contributing factor to the rebellion and eventual separation. The constitution states that every American has the freedom of speech, press, religion, freedom to assemble, freedom of press, and freedom to petition. Americans have the right to do this however, in some instances it can be difficult for Americans to exercise these freedoms that the founding fathers fought for.
Some of the obstacles that individuals could face when exercising their first amendment right is ridicule. Everyone may not agree with what you are saying, protesting about, or what is being printed in the media. Case in point, in 2016 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided not to Neal during the national anthem in a form of protesting black oppression and police brutality. He received a lot of backlash from news outlets, social media, and even the NFL. Kaepernick’s contract is set to expire soon and many NFL teams are saying that they would not pick him up due to his form of protesting.
These are teams that need quarterbacks, and even despite Kaepernicks skills and talent still would not take him. That goes to show that even in a high-profile position such as Colin kaepernick, you can still face ridicule by practicing your constitutional rights. The 15th amendment granted Black males he right to vote. However, the police deliberately target many Black men.
Black men are much more susceptible to racial profiling then white men. a 2011 Police-Public Contact Survey report by the Justice Department reveled that Blacks were twice as likely to be searched during a routine traffic stop than Whites. Five percent of Blacks pulled over by police are not told why they were stopped. There are clearly some imbalances regarding treatment of African Americans by police and the criminal justice system. People with felonies are also unable to vote. These people who are mainly do not have a voice or say in who will become our next commander and chief. black This can change the way that states tend to vote. I.E Georgia is a red state however if all the convicted felons could vote Georgia would be a red state. Blacks have the “freedom” to vote however they cross several obstacles. Having to deal with racial profiling form police, and statistically being more likely to be arrested or pulled over by law enforcement.
The rest of the bill of rights is as follows: 2. Right to keep and bear arms to maintain a well-regulated militia. 3 No quartering of soldiers. 4 Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. 5 Right to due process of law, freedom from self-incrimination, double jeopardy. 6 Rights of accused persons, e.g., right to a speedy and public trial. 7. Right of trial by jury in civil cases. 8 Freedom from excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishments. 9. Other rights of the people. 10. Powers reserved to the states.
History has shown that some groups of people in America must face more obstacles than others. Amendment number 4 states that as Americas we have Freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, however statists show that African Americans are pulled over by police twice as much as White Americans (4.5% to 2.1%). This treatment is not limited to Blacks, Hispanics
are also more likely to be stopped and searched than whites. Often these minority groups are searched more than non-minority groups, and for little to no reason. It has been argued that Minorities are stopped and searched just for the simple fact that they are minorities.
According the constitution Everyone is entitled to not have to be subjected to unreasonable search and seizure, but unfortunately It happens every day. Many Minorities face the obstacle of being stopped by police while conducting everyday activities. These stops have resulted in jail time, and even death. According to the Huffington post more than 250 black people were killed by the police in 2016.
In July of 2016, Terence Crutcher a Black man in Tulsa, Oklahoma was shot and killed by police when they noticed his SUV stalled in the road. Police said they shot Crutcher because his hands were not up however Video footage shows him with his hands and yet he was still shot.
The 13th amendment abolished slavery, however there was an exception. This exception was for criminals After Slavery Blacks were arrested for extremely minor crimes in mass numbers. The incarcerated African Americans were forced to provide to labor to rebuild the South after the civil war. This in turn caused Blacks to be viewed as criminals, evil people. The film birth of a nation also helped to propel this stereotype. This film depicted and the African male as victimizing rapist.
This had a profound effect on the country at the time, consequently Blacks were lynched and victimized. Emmitt Till was basically mutilated for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Many other African Americans were brutalized by the KKK. Thousands of African Americans were murdered by mobs under the idea that they had done something criminal. This laid the foundation for the constant arrest of black men in the years to come. During the 1960s, blacks were arrested for peacefully protesting for civil rights. By the early 1990s Black people were 8.5 times more likely to go to jail than whites. It got to the point where There were more Black men in prison than in college.
The constitution grans us rights however there are many obstacles to many Americans being able to utilize these rights. Whether it’s the right to protest, the right to freedom of speech, or even the right to be unreasonably searched and seized and not die over it. There is always an obstacle. Sure we have the right, these rights cannot be practiced without difficulty or obstacles.
