' speech
in is a classic, and he makes a compelling closing argument which contains
the line to which your question refers. His use of the words makes an important distinction,
one which you will probably need to address in your essay in some fashion. He says:
Now, gentlemen, in this country the courts are the
great levelers. In our courts, all men are created equal.
Notice what he says and what he does not say. He says that every person is the same
according to the law. In other words, all men and women in this country have equal
rights. He does not say all men
are equal.
What that means for your essay, then, is that
you have to distinguish between these two concepts. For example, if equal means
"same," a quick look around will tell you that all men (humans) are not equal. Some
are short, some are tall; some are skinny, some are not; some are brilliant, some are just
average; some can sing, some can't carry a tune; some can draw throw or run, and some can't. We
are not all the same (equal), and that's a good thing. This is not Atticus' position.
We do, though, have equal rights, both according to the Declaration of
Independence and according to Atticus' speech. That means if a poor person and a
rich person each commit a crime, they are guaranteed a lawyer, a speedy trial, and a jury of
their peers. We also have equal responsibilities as citizens. That means the laws of the land
apply to the rich and the poor, the rural and the urban, the old and the young. We also have
equal opportunities, with all that entails. It's true that there is some "warping" of
these equalities, as those who are rich or who "have" can buy better lawyers, work the
laws to their advantage, and find more opportunities; however, the pure system is designed for
equality for all.
Your essay can cover any number of these aspects, and
there are plenty of real-life examples to support them.
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