The Equal Protection Clause lived up to its original intent in many cases. For example, the case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) made segregation of public schools illegal. On the other hand, Lum v. Rice (1927) case demonstrated that the exclusion of children of color from public schools might be legal. The reason for such controversy is the different periods when the issues occurred. According to Dudziak (2004), “Once the United States took on the role of a world leader and argued that its system of government was a model for the world, the world took an interest in American justice” (p. 42). The statement proves that the Equal Protection Clause is enforced with the country’s development.
Without any doubt, the Equal Protection Clause has made the USA a more free and equal country. The Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) and Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) cases proved it. First, Allan Bakke applied for admission to the medical school and was unfairly rejected. Even though it happened because of the university’s affirmative action program for minorities, the applicant deserved to be admitted, as his scores were high. The Equal Protection Clause states that no state will deprive a person of the right to education. Undoubtedly, the University of California violated it by giving minorities special privileges.
Second, legalizing same-sex marriages in the United States was a critical step in making the country more prosperous. The Equal Protection Clause led to it to some extent in the Obergefell v. Hodges case. Banning same-sex marriages means depriving people of liberty, especially the right to choose. The Fourteenth Amendment demonstrates that it is critical to legalize them to live in a country where freedom and equality prosper.
Reference
Dudziak, M. L. (2004). Brown as a Cold War case. The Journal of American History, 91(1), 32-42. Web.