• Omega@lemmy.world
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    28 days ago

    Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness

    Go read the preamble to the constitution. It’s quite different from what the “We the people…” 1776 people think it says. It’s basically what the right would call socialism, taking care of one another when possible.

    The first amendment protects the separation of church and state, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly.

    The second amendment protects your right to form a militia if none exist. Which always reminds me of the Black Panthers protecting black voters while armed.

    There’s a lot of technical amendments too. But what really gives me American pride is all of those who have continued to push for those rights to be upheld.

    • novibe@lemmy.ml
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      28 days ago

      That’s your modern interpretation of those “rights” and document. The people who wrote that were mostly slave owners, who believed only land owning men should have any democratic rights. Black people were not even considered humans. Indigenous people were treated as pests. I mean…

      • Omega@lemmy.world
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        28 days ago

        That is true. While the proclaimed rights and values held true, America has failed to uphold those values from the very beginning.

        However, there have also been people from the very beginning who have fought for those values. Columbus was seen as savage by his fellows, slavery has never had unanimously accepted, indigenous people weren’t seen as pests to all.

        Even the land owning part was contentious, which is why they left it up to the states to determine.