“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 the pursuit of Happiness.” Thomas Jefferson. What I get from Thomas Jefferson is that we have the freedom of life, but happiness is what we have to earn for ourselves. It calls to mind what Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”  America is what it is today because of the courageous people that came before us and their pursuit of happiness.

Now imagine a society where women stayed at home while men went out and worked. Where schools were segregated and homosexuality was “cured” by religion. Not long ago that society wasn’t just make believe; it was reality! America’s society has came a long way since the 1900’s. Our predecessors took steps to change their society and due to sit-ins, boycotts, and other forms of protest, change was made.

One person that changed American history was Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln signed the 13th amendment abolishing slavery. Another person that changed America’s society was Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood and a birth control activist. In the Obergefell Vs. Hodges case, groups of same-sex couples sued their relevant state agencies in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee to challenge the bans on same-sex marriage. The supreme court declared the bans unconstitutional, making same-sex marriage legal on June 26, 2015. Those courageous people took a stand on what was right and pursued their right to happiness.