Bliss in Ignorance

If you go to school you assume you are able to sit in a desk. If you get on a bus you assume that you are able to sit where ever you want. If you own a gun you assume that you won’t be arrested. What if one day somebody walked up and told you that you could not sit in your desk. What if they said that you were not a loud to sit in that spot on the bus? What if they said that you were not a loud to have that gun in your possession? Most people would react as if that person was crazy. I believe that most people would react this way because the majority of people assume that they have rights. It would be correct to say that all citizens have rights, but does anyone ever think of what it cost to gain those rights?
In 1776, America (the 13 colonies) declared their independence from Britain. After fighting for years to gain their freedom they finally won the war. In April 1782, the Commons voted to end the war in America. Peace articles were signed in Paris at the end of November 1782. The war was officially ended in 1783 by the signing of both the Treaty of Paris and Treaties of Versailles. Finally on January 14, 1784; the United States Congress of the Confederation ratified the Treat of Paris.
In the presidential election of 1860, the Republican Party, led by Abraham Lincoln, campaigned against the expansion of slavery in states in which it did not already exist. Republican victory led to the secession of seven Southern states and within under a year hostilities between the divided country rose. Not too long after tension escalated and violence ensued as people started fighting. In 1865 the Civil War was officially considered ended. Over the course of the war 620,000 soldiers and an unknown amount of civilians had been killed.
In 1914, World War 1 started and in 1939 World War 2 started. World War 1 resulted in over 20million deaths and World War 2 surpassed that with more than 70million deaths. These two wars together amassed the greatest amount of casualties ever in history.
So again the question is; do we think of what it cost to gain the rights that we have? Does anyone think about how many lives were lost and destroyed because of wars that involved protecting our rights? My guess is that the majority of people have become so used to the idea of them having rights that they don’t think about how privileged they are to have those rights. I think that it’s time that people stop taking everything for granted and learn why they have what they have. I think that people need to realize that there are people out in the world fighting everyday so that people like us can have our rights. I find it sad when people take everything that they have for granted and complain every day about their life. So unaware to what it really took and what it still takes to make sure that our rights are protected. I think that this was best phrased by Thomas Gray’s poem, Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College, where it said and I quote, “Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise”.