The Tenets Of Democracy And Slave Realities

The Tenets of Democracy and Slave Realities Name: Institution: Date: The Tenets of Democracy and Slave Realities The elements of democracy in the American Constitution include liberty, equality, freedom, and justice. The philosophical foundations of the tenets are essential when discussing aspects of natural rights and sovereignty. The philosophers such as John Locke enumerated that the law governed human affairs and established a way to embrace human relationships rather than the families. Thus, people focused on tenets of democracy especially liberty to enhance the freedom of individuals within the context of the state which provides justice and stability under the laws (Gerald, 2017). However, confines of democracy as the tenets indicate omits the slavery realities which then makes slaves realize that such principles are mere expressions to appeal to the majority in the society. Contrasts prevailover similarities on tenets of democracy and slave realities as such tenets played little role in solving the plights of slaves when slave owners celebrated independence, liberty, democracy, and freedom. In embracing contrasts on the tenets of democracy and slavery, the realities demonstrated that the rule of law and democracy had no principles. The mentioned liberty, freedom, equality and democracy itself are available for the majority in the society. One needs to embrace the historical slavery abolitionist speeches to analyze who indeed enjoyed the tenets of democracy. America established its independence on the principles of equality, justice, and liberty. However, controversial debates arise concerning plights of slaves in a nation that preach equality and freedom (Gerald, 2017). According to Fredrick Douglass in his speech; What to the Slave Is the 4th of July, Douglass said: I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you this day rejoice are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence bequeathed by your fathers is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were an inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today?(Douglass1852, 1818). The speech indicates that liberty ensures that a person has full control and agency on his life. Thus, a person needs to have a relationship with the society under the social contract as well as existence in a state of nature coupled with freedom and rights. Therefore, liberty is coined from a philosophical foundation of natural rights and sovereignty (Gerald, 2017). Henceforth, a person under democracy should be free within the context of a state that gives stability via the constitution and laws. Hence, the person should have the freedom of action, but need not present coercion to other people. As a result, everybody under liberty should have right to life, freedom, and right to the estate. Besides, people have the right to i...