"... nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." When the Wyant-Wheeler law firm fired Andrew Beckett, they deprived him of his constitutional right of liberty. Liberty is defined as "the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views." Beckett's way of life - as a homosexual - was what caused him to contract the AIDS virus. His bosses were uncomfortable with this lifestyle, as well as having close physical proximity to people infected with the AIDS virus because they weren't entirely sure how it could spread. This was evidenced by Wheeler's "oh God" look whenever the woman who had contracted the virus through a blood transfusion came around him. They fired him only because of these things; his work had no influence - and he was actually one of the top lawyers at the company. These facts show that his departure from the company was unjust, and violated his right of liberty.
Due process "acts as a safeguard from arbitrary denial of life, liberty, or property by the government outside the sanction of law." The prohibition of same-sex marriage is an denial of liberty, so the advent of same-sex marriage shows that through due process, it was determined that the denial was an infringement of the right liberty. What's important about this right is the idea of equal protection - it applies to everyone, regardless of lifestyle or beliefs. The 14th Amendment allows for equal rights of all people, and that those rights cannot be taken away without lawful supervision and determination.
Comments
Post a Comment