i would say that they are important because a lot of people fought and died for those rights. They were set in place so that EVERYONE could be considered equal, this goes past racial tolerances, these rights helped keep this country a peaceful nation. The very idea that all men and women are created equal is what fuels our nation and keeps it together. Without these rights, it would be as if those people, the black people fighting for racial equality, the women fighting for voting rights, etc wuld have been for nothing and this country would still be in shambles