Read the following passage: Since the first ten amendments were added to the U. S. Constitution, centuries have passed. In that time, just seventeen more amendments have been added. There are now just twenty-seven amendments in all. The Twenty-Seventh Amendment was introduced by James Madison in 1789. It was not adopted until 1992. This most recent of amendments assures that members of Congress cannot vote for a pay raise and take the raise within their term.

Though amendments are few overall, four have to do with giving voting rights to more people. The Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal,” but this principle has not always been put into practice. This has been especially true when it comes to the right to vote. The Fifteenth Amendment declares, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This law was ratified after the Civil War. Members of Congress wanted to make sure that former slaves could vote. The Nineteenth Amendment gives women the right to vote. The Twenty-Third Amendment makes sure that people living in the District of Columbia can vote in presidential elections. The Twenty-Sixth Amendment lowered the voting age to eighteen rather than twenty-one.

Question:
Do you think the Constitution needs an amendment stating that all U. S. law should be based on equality for all citizens? After deciding, make a claim that explains your position. Support your claim with two major points. Use information in the passage or from the lesson. Write a conclusion. Your response should be between seventy-five and one hundred and fifty words.