Is the American’s Creed Still Relevant Today?

The American’s Creed was composed by William Tyler Page in 1917 during the First World War. It was a short paragraph that describes what the United States of America is and it outlines what duty every citizen must perform. While it was written a century ago, it is still relevant today. It outlines some key principles that we must strive for as American citizens.

Here’s why the American’s Creed is still important today:

The American’s Creed Tells Us We Must Fight for Equality
In the American’s Creed, it is clearly outlined that equality is one of the main principles on which the US is established. While there has definitely been significant change in the last century, equality is still something that a lot of Americans are struggling to achieve. Research shows that most African American people have been told to expect discrimination by their parents. This means that they are informed that they will not be treated the same way that people from the majority group are treated from a very early age.

Most African American people also say that people have been suspicious of their presence at some point in their lives. People from majority groups tend to feel threatened by the presence of African American people because they have been conditioned to believe that Black people are looking for trouble, even though that is far from the truth. Therefore, that is why there have been multiple occasions on which white people report African American people to police, even if they have done nothing illegal.

Keeping what is said in The American’s Creed in mind, it is our duty as citizens of the United States to strive for equality and liberty. This means that every American deserves the same opportunities as each other. There is nothing that separates one American from the other, and we cannot be selective when it comes to protecting the rights of Americans.

The American’s Creed Tells Us We Must Fight for Justice
Another important principle outlined in the American’s Creed is justice. This means that we must always uphold a fair standard to justice. We should not make rash decisions when pursuing justice. We must look at all the facts and not make judgments based on personal prejudice. Every citizen in this country is equal, and therefore deserves the same level of justice.

There have been multiple occasions on which African American people have been wrongfully convicted for crimes. An example of this is the wrongful conviction of the boxer Rubin Carter. He was only released after someone made it their duty to seek justice for him. We should learn from that example and do our best to ensure that every citizen gets justice. Being silent about injustices related to racial or ethnic discrimination only allows it to perpetuate.

Just because a piece of writing is old doesn’t mean that it is irrelevant. The American’s Creed tells us that, as citizens, it is our duty to fight for justice and equality for each of our citizens. That is the only way we can bring positive change.