"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 pursuit of happiness.”
Now read the excerpt from Governor George Wallace's inaugural address.
We invite the [Black] citizens of Alabama to work with us from his separate racial station . . . as we will work with him . . . to develop, to grow in individual freedom and enrichment.
The excerpts conflict because
the first suggests that life, liberty, and happiness are basic rights, while the second suggests that freedom is the only basic right.
the first suggests that all are born with equal rights, while the second suggests that certain citizens need to be separated in order to become equal.
the second suggests that Black citizens enjoy working with White citizens, while the first suggests that Black citizens cannot work with White citizens.
the second suggests that it is a racial group’s own responsibility to improve itself, while the first suggests that this idea is a proven fact.
1 answer
The excerpts conflict because the first suggests that all are born with equal rights, while the second suggests that certain citizens need to be separated in order to become equal.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s statement emphasizes the idea of inherent equality for all individuals, while Governor George Wallace's address promotes separation, implying that equality can only be attained through distinct racial stations rather than in a unified society.
