Pro and Con #2: Do we need a Bill of Rights

On June 12th, 1776, at the Virginia convention of delegates, delegate Mr. George Mason wrote a document that secured the equality of the citizens. This document was entitled the Virginia Declaration of Rights which has 16 articles. Article 1 is the most important article in the Virginia Declaration of Rights because it talks about that equality of citizens. Article 1 states “That all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety” (Mason, 1776, para 1). This statement ensures that all the citizens in the United States of America are no longer subjects to the British King.

On July 4th, 1776, about three weeks later, Thomas Jefferson released the Declaration of Independence to Britain empire. Thomas Jefferson borrowed the idea of equality of citizens from Article 1 of The Virginia Declaration of Rights. The opening statement of Declaration of Independence is highly respected and one of the most important statements. The opening statement states, “When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected themselves with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impels them to the separation. 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.” (Jefferson, 1776, para 1-2)The founding fathers instituted to secure the rights of the governed to prevent tyranny and oligarchy. Therefore, they started to draft laws and rights entitled to all the people. This was the beginning of The Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights were gathered together to ensure that the Government is limited and wouldn’t infringe on the rights of the citizens.

Therefore, pros and cons exist in the discussion of the necessity for The Bill of Rights. The Anti-Federalist believe The Bill of Rights would help guarantee the inherent rights of citizens. However, the Federalists did not believe that the constitution needs The Bill of Rights because The Bill of Rights was unnecessary. I am resolved that Anti-Federalists’ argument for The Bill of Rights outweigh the Federalists argument against The Bill of Rights because The Bill of Rights limits the government, promotes the quality of life, and safeguards the right of individual privacy.

The Bill of Rights limits the government because it safeguards the citizens from being afraid or terrorized by the governments. The Bill of Rights also protects the vulnerable people. Article 1 is the most important right in The Bill of Rights. Article 1 of The Bill of Rights ensures the right to religious freedom. The right to religious freedom is important because it helps the citizens know that their right to worship cannot be taken away in a heartbeat from the government. For example, North Korean Christians, who are being infringed upon by the North Korean Regime, are not guaranteed the right to religious freedom. When North Korean Christians worship, they worship in the privacy of their own homes because they are terrified that the North Korean Regime will hunt them down and send them to horrific concentration camps. Whereas, The Bill of Rights in America guarantees that the citizens can express their Christian beliefs in public or in secret without the infringement brought upon by the Government.

For these reasons, I am resolved that citizens need The Bill of Rights to ensure that United States citizens’ rights are not infringed upon by the government. Therefore, the Anti-Federalist won the argument when it came to securing The Bill of Rights.