Charles Kutt

PO 04104
4/27/11
Equality, Liberty & Rights
A nation of individuals is structured around the ideas and beliefs held most dear to her
people and her founders. These convictions and principles permeate throughout a land on the
heels of consensus while at the same time motioning the development of a country. However, the
grandiose values that move men to tearful prideand even instigate bloody conflicts and
revolutionseventually change. Ideas mature. Alongside this growth, a nation matures as well.
The Modern Citizen cravesamong other willful desiresthe sound principles of equality,
liberty, and rights. Defined as "the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in quantity,
degree, value, rank, or ability", equality is desired by the majority in a nation and especially by
those visited often by political or social abuse, perceptions of discrepant law, and those
understanding themselves aware of what is fair and just (dictionary.com). Yet the virtue of
equality is also desired by those who live a life stifled by circumstances outside of their own
control, people perspiring into a bleak dead end: humans desiring treatment similar to fellow
human beings. From this idea one may envision a similar yet sometimes conflicting concept of
liberty. Defined as a "freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering
conditions, etc.; power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice", one sees
a problem with the desire of liberty in this sense (dictionary.com). Common and everyday life
requires the presence of obligations: effort in work, with family, children, expenses, and duty a
nation places upon her citizens. A simple comprehension is that life requires effort and possesses
a considerable amount of restrictions and limitations. One is not at the liberty to simply take a
desired item without proper and justifiable payment. Complete liberty escapes the citizens
residing in many of the most liberal countries in the modern world, yet few governments

arguably possess something close to complete liberty such as the powerful Parliament of the
United Kingdom. Lastly, an overwhelming majority of modern citizens demand rights. Often
these rights protect specifics of equality and liberty among other ideas such as the First
Amendment of the United States' Constitution safeguarding a citizens right to freedom of
religion, speech, and peaceful assembly (US Const., amend. I). In this case a right is "that which
is due to anyone by just claim, legal guarantees, or moral principles" (dictionary.com). An
obvious issue is the discrepancy between what is morally sound and legally permissible, an
ongoing conflict ofarguablysubjective sentiment and objective law. Non-withstanding, these
ideas of equality, liberty, and undeniable rights are coveted by nations and her citizens.
A nation of imperial proportions and once coined as an empire hardly seems a suitable
place to advance the yeoman principles of democracy. However, the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, once the world dominant British Empire, became one of the first
modern democracies. Though described as the primogeniture of modern democracy and the
worlds oldest democracy, the transition from her imperialist roots to the current Parliamentary
democracy was gradual, slow, and comparatively peaceful process though marked by several
instances of turbulent violence (ONeil 32). The British Monarchy remains even today with the
storied institution of the Crown and remnants of the aristocracy in the parliamentary House of
Lords. The power struggle between the two promoted the creation of the UKs unwritten
constitution beginning with the Magna Carta in 1215, forcing King John to agree to a statement
of rights of the English Barons (ONeil 24). This began the nations emphasis on precedent as
the only real guideline to national policy-making: a political tradition. The significance of the
Magna Carta also resides in the fact of its nature protecting human rights, though these rights at
the time belonged the rich, high-class, and affluent elite. Rights such as participation and a

leveling of equality were granted to only these men while the rest of the populace suffered
exclusion. Through the United Kingdoms development, the power in the possession of Crown
and the nobles faltered giving rise the modern Parliament of the UK. This parliament, divided
between the House of Lords and the House of Commons, controls considerable power,
legislating from a position mostly unrestrained. This is a case of liberty at its near magnitude:
the majority in Parliament has virtually unchecked power (ONeil 39). However this modern
majoritarian product of democracy would not be possible without the expansion of political
equality. British political partiesmost notably the Whigs and Toriesreached out to the
populace for political support and increased the power of the former British subjects (ONeil 38).
The impetus for more political power culminated in 1928, when women over the age of twentyone in the UK were granted the right to vote (ONeil 39). Equality expanded on the political
pursuit of power.
Unlike her once mother country, the United States of America was founded upon the
problematic remnants of a weak confederacy under the same principles that inspired a nation to
revolution: 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 (US Declaration Ind.). The political culture of the American nation
claims to respect the equality of opportunity for mankind and the freedom to participate and
continue in a life geared toward happiness and contentment. Incorporating these values on to
paper, the United States Constitution delineates the duties of the Judicial, Legislative, and
Executive branches of the nation along with a Bill of Rights (originally ten amendments, now
twenty-seven). Though respecting the rights of mankind, America has constantly been catering
conflicting sentiment on this topic, evident foremost in the nations sad history of slavery.

Jeffersons failed effort to address the slave trade in the Declaration of Independence revealed a
clash of cultures in America, in which the countries liberal aspirations and its commitment to
natural rights competed with traditions of prejudice and bigotry that tarnished its civic religion
(Landy 53). Even the war with the British Empire in the late 18th century was tarnished; slavery
robbed the Revolution of its true meaning (Landy 55). Equality of opportunity along with the
right to liberty promoted the minoritys rights so well with the establishment of a bicameral
legislation against total majority rule, but participation was hard earned in the actual process. The
right to vote for all men did not appear until 1870and women until 1920with the passing of
the 15th Amendment. Even then local laws and regulations, predominantly in the South, often
times swindled this right away from African-Americans culminating in a Civil Rights
Movement. How can equality survive beneath a torrent of prejudice?
The Islamic Republic of Iran incorporates politics and religion to an extent that gives the
notions of equality, liberty, and rights new and confused meanings. The modern nation of Iran
takes a literal interpretation of the faith should be the basis of the political regime (ONeil
370). Known as Islamic fundamentalism, Iran seeks to create a system of government and laws
in line with the teachings of the Koran (ONeil 370). Created in 1979, Ruhollah Khomeini and
his Shiite followers deposed the Iranian monarchy, seeking to create the theocratic nation that
remains today. The constitution of the nation serves to promote a religious unity and following.
According to the constitution, the Islamic Republic exists not to serve the individual or mediate
between diverse interests but to guide the people toward God (Allah) (ONeil 383). Sharia, or
Gods law stands as the basis for all law. Imperfect humans must interpret the sacred book and its
described teachings in order to create laws applicable to modern society and its modern issues.
The Supreme Leader is the dominant executiveserving for lifeand possesses a multitude of

duties including selecting candidates for presidential office. He also appoints many prominent
positions in the Iranian government along with directors of radio and television stations (ONeil
385). Though voting is extended to men and women alike, actual impact on the government is
kept to a minimum. The liberty of Iranian citizens is limited to the categorical interpretations of a
religious text.
A dictionary cannot define the societal definitions of terms such as equality, liberty, and
rights. Even nations devoted to these ideals have histories of injustice, bigotry, and dictatorial
pressure. But the modern citizen craves these things and will act when push comes to shove as
noted by the Civil Rights Movement in American history and the 2009 Iranian presidential riots.
The ease of which to construct new laws, policies, and acts differs from one country to the next;
but the resolve of the modern citizen and state to desire the power equality, liberty, and rights
provide does not.