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  • Essay / What we need to know about the Bill of Rights

    The Bill of Rights is a list of rights, or amendments, belonging to the people of the United States. Now, this question was asked centuries ago, when it was proposed: does the enumeration of rights create the hypothesis that all rights not enumerated are lost? To answer this debatable question, we must examine both the Anti-Federalist and Federalist arguments. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the Original EssayThe Anti-Federalists were actually the first to propose including a Bill of Rights in the Constitution. They asserted that fundamental and vital rights should be specifically enumerated or listed for the protection of the liberty of the individual. After all, these rights (i.e. freedom of religion and freedom of speech) should be clearly retained by the people. That way, if their freedom were ever threatened, they could rely on the Bill of Rights, rather than the ambiguous Constitution, to guide them. For the Anti-Federalists, firmly preserving the rights of the people was of the utmost importance. As for the actual enumeration, I believe they believed that only fundamental rights were necessary and that people would understand that all, if not all, other rights were preserved by the very nature of the Constitution. The Federalists, on the contrary, had a different opinion regarding the Bill of Rights. They argued that the Bill of Rights was not only unnecessary, but even ridiculous to some. One Federalist said the very idea never crossed the minds of many attendees until the convention closed. Ultimately, Federalists believed that since the Constitution was made by the people, for the people, there was no need to specifically enumerate the rights already enshrined in the Constitution. The very nature of the Constitution makes the people themselves masters of their rights, so there is simply no need for a document to assert them. Some Federalists even viewed the Bill of Rights as dangerous in that it could be left open to misinterpretation or rights not listed would be considered lost. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayTo conclude, however, the Bill of Rights only enumerates what was considered by both parties to be of vital importance. And in order to avoid confusion, a final amendment was added, stating that any rights not enumerated would still belong to the people, unless they took them away. Therefore, this compromise satisfied both parties and proved that enumerating rights does NOT create an assumption, or theory, that all unenumerated rights are lost. It is simply a security for the freedom and peace not only of individuals, but also of the public at large. The people will always have the right to life and liberty. The Bill of Rights only serves to protect us from potential government tyranny..