The U.S. Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was written in 1788. Ratification of the Bill of Rights with ten amendments in 1791 was the first attempt to ensure that the constitution is not moribund and inefficient to address emerging issues as the young country progressed. Although all the amendments have played a major role in the history of the nation, special attention will be given to the 2nd, 15th, and 19th Amendments in this discussion. The 2 nd Amendment defines citizens’ rights to bear and keep arms. The 15th Amendment describes constitutional protections on racial minorities to ensure that they are not discriminated during electoral processes/voting. The 19th Amendment is a historic amendment that granted women the right to vote.
Amendment 2, Right to Keep and Bear Arms
The Second Amendment is one of the ten components of the Bill of Rights ratified in 1791. The amendment states that while a well regulated militia is needed in the country for the security of the citizens, the law shall not be used to infringe bearing and keeping of arms. According to Dowlut (1989), the people framing the constitution understood that bearing of arms was only unlawful if it appeared to what is termed as malo animo (intent to engage in malicious activity). However, the Second Amendment has been at the center of intense debates considering that bearing and owning arms has been linked with the rising cases of internal terrorism in the United States. While infringing the citizens’ rights to keep and bear arms appears to be out of the options at the moment, policy makers are exploring ways to introduce laws that address the emerging challenges while at the same time allowing people to exercise their liberties and protections as provided in the 2 nd Amendment.
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Amendment 15, Right to Vote on Racial Basis
The 15th Amendment to the U.S Constitution was ratified on February 3, 1870. The amendment is organized into two sections. The first section protects U.S. citizens from discrimination during voting on the bases of color, race or servitude. According to Jordan (1985), the war for Negroes’ rights appeared to be won by ratifying the 15 th Amendment. The amendment came few years after the American Civil War which asserted the position of African Americans in the country’s national frame. The amendment was the beginning to a rigorous process to achieve equality in the country. The culmination of the struggles starting in 1860s came almost a century later with the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.
Amendment 19, Voting Rights on Sex Basis
The 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920. The amendment legally guaranteed American women the right to vote. According to Harhai & Krueger (2019), 100 years after passing the 19th amendment, the fruits of the great amendment are visible in all areas of the U.S. society. In the years preceding the amendment, the first wave of feminism had taken the country by a storm. Women were pushing for their space in the economic, political and social spheres. In the political sphere, they were agitating for voting rights to ensure that they determined the kind of leaders to lead them. The ratification was a big win for women. It paved way for more opportunities in the political spectrum.
Conclusion
The constitution should be a progressive document. Amendments ensure that emerging issues and concerns are added without changing the original intention of the constitution. The greatness of any nation lies in its ability to protect and adhere to its constitution or laws governing it. In its absence, a country shifts towards anarchy and the liberties, freedoms and protections enjoyed by a population are lost.
References
Dowlut, R. (1989). The 2nd Amendment: To Keep and Bear Arms. San Francisco Barrister Law Journal, 8, https://ssrn.com/abstract=2549244
Harhai, M. K. & Krueger, J. M. (2019). Celebrating women’s suffrage and the 19th Amendment using AASL standards. Teacher Librarian, 46 (4), 13-16.
Howard, E. C. (1985). The future of the Fifteenth Amendment. Howard Law Journal, 28, 541.
