The United States is one of the countries in the world that has had numerous constitutional amendments ever since it freed itself from the shackles of colonialism in 1776. Indeed, it is one of the countries that have a population that is very diverse, taking into consideration that most of the American citizens trace their origins from different countries in the world. It is one of the societies that have taken advantage of its religious, cultural, racial and political diversity to exploit some of the resources that they have been endowed with for the betterment of their nation and the citizens in general. Due to their diversity, many Americans have different points of view about various issues. Since time immemorial, the various perspectives that are held by American citizens have created a wide berth in their society, resulting in a nation that is marred by inequality and injustices. This paper delves deeper into how the American society has experienced morality shift over the past centuries and how the colour blindness of the constitution has affected the American society in general.
From the time the American constitution was approved in 1788, it has gone through various amendments so that it can address some of the key issues that emerge in the American society. Indeed, a good Constitution should provide for the right channels through which amendments can be made with ease so as to accommodate the emerging trends in the society. This is referred to like the flexibility of the Constitution. In the American culture, morality shifts have been observed in various instances and regarding different issues. Some of the issues that have experienced massive morality changes in the United States are gay and lesbians marriages, abortion, sex between unmarried people, human cloning, and euthanasia among many others.
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As the society changes, people adopt different views about various issues. The society becomes more and more permissive as the years pass by, and some of the issues that were previously regarded as taboo become acceptable. Recent studies have indicated that the contemporary American is more likely to find some behaviour morally acceptable than it was in the 2000s (Staff, 2015) . The acceptability of those issues has hit a record high over the past few decades.
One of the issues that have experienced a morality shift in the United States is the one regarding gay and lesbian relations. With the passage of time, a majority of Americans have come to accept that a person is born with a particular sexual orientation rather than it being acquired from the society in which a person is born and raised. They have come to accept same sex marriages, and it has now become a norm rather than an exception. Furthermore, some states in America have gone ahead and taken a bold move and legalised same sex marriages and even passed rights that protect such people from societal discrimination. In 2015, most American states made a step of legalising gay marriages (Sutherland, 2017) . Courts in 19 states in the District of Columbia had accepted same sex marriages (Mohler, 2014) . Indeed, this is a signal that many countries in the United States start moving towards allowing same sex marriages as a regular thing that should be accepted in the society.
Another issue that has experienced a morality shift in the United States is the one regarding sexual relations outside wedlock. More Americans have come to accept that there is nothing wrong with having sexual relationships before one gets married. One of the key drivers to this moral standing is the rapid industrialisation in the United States. During the Industrial revolution, many Americans migrated to urban centers in search of jobs. As they adapted to their new environments, some of them decided to settle down. This was actualized by people living together as a couple. This has come to be replicated in the modern American society where people have adopted more liberal views towards marriage. Many have even come to accept that there is nothing wrong with having a baby out of wedlock.
Additionally, more Americans have softened their stand on divorce, they have come to accept that there is nothing wrong with the divorce between two partners. This leftward moral shift has led to the moral decay of the American society, leading to the breaking up of many unions. This has left many families devastated. Moreso, children, are the ones who find themselves entrapped in the midst of nasty divorce cases. Often, children in broken marriages end up living miserable lives as they try to gain self-identity and find the proper moral footing.
The other moral issue that has plagued the American society is that of racial prejudice. Widespread racial segregation and discrimination in various quarters in the United States have left many Americans wondering whether the Constitution is color blind. The American Supreme Court has played a vital role in the morality shift over the past few centuries. For example, in 1954, the American Supreme Court decided that it was right for Black and White children to be separated in learning institutions. This was one of the court decisions that sparked widespread outrage in the United States that left many people questioning whether the Constitution has equal right for everyone. One of the most, interesting things in America’s history was when those who championed against racial segregation argued that the government had no authority sorting out its citizens by the color of their skin (Kull, 2017) .
Society should be a place where every person should be given the opportunity to have and exploit their talents so that they can be independent and contribute to the economy in a appositive way. The colour blindness of the American Constitution has resulted in the development of feelings of mistrust among a section of the American population, especially those that feel that they have been discriminated against. The society should be an equal place devoid of any form of segregation or discrimination.
References
Kull, A. (2017). The Color-Blind Constitution. Havard University Press , 19-24.
Mohler, A. (2014). A dark day for marriage and morality: the Supreme Court’s moral abdication. Opinion , 56-72.
Staff, N. (2015). Podcast: Is the Constitution color-blind? Constitution Daily , 79-93.
Sutherland, A. E. (2017). Segregation and the Supreme Court. The Atlantic Daily , 32-47.
