...Should Americans be Required to Vote? Why would a country that revels in the fact that they have more freedoms than most countries obligate their citizens to vote? It is clear that american citizens should not be forced to vote. People feel that if they were given a day off work on election day, they would be able to vote. Another way is if citizens were able to vote early. Should the eligible citizens of america be obligated to vote? There are three reasons why Americans should not be obligated to vote. First of all ignorant voters are dangerous,the fact that citizens do not participate as much shouldn't be masked, and the higher level education people receive the higher percentage of them will vote. One reason why Americans should not be required to vote is that ignorant voters are dangerous. Evidence supporting this reason is “must you vote?” new York times by randy Cohen. A quote that I found on this site explaining the dangers of ignorant voters is, “It is irresponsible to encourage the unaware to put their ignorance into action so aimlessly...you might as well urge the unpracticed to Rollerblade and use power tools simultaneously. At least they'd injure only themselves.” this evidence helps explain why Americans should not be required to vote because when the ignorant vote their vote could possibly be the vote that takes a...
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...Can the amendments from the Bill of Rights be valued of importance? The bill of rights consists of ten amendments each guaranteeing an individual right of every United States citizen. In this essay I have picked two amendments, which I will explain, their importance and negative consequences. Continuing on the relevance of the second amendment in today’s American climate and the arguments that those are for/against about gun control. The first amendment of the Bill of Rights sets the tone for the rest of the document showing the limitations the government has towards any United States citizen. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,...
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...of many Americans for different reasons. Each of these amendments has to due with giving people equal rights no matter what race or gender that they may be. These are all tremendous milestones in American history. First, the 13th amendment was passed in 1865 to end slavery. African Americans were no longer allowed to be considered as property. Instead, they became viewed as real people, and slavery was banned unless it was used as a form of punishment This amendment was passed because before and during the civil war, most northern citizens strongly stood against slavery. They thought it was unjust to make people work for long hours and to be treated unfairly. This amendment clearly and effectively signified that no American citizen could own slaves....
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...see it in books, on television, in the media; it is rapidly becoming a social norm. Given this trend of greater acceptance of gay marriage, the issue of whether to legalize same-sex marriage naturally arises. Massachusetts has led the way by legalizing gay marriage. Responding to this example, some states have taken steps towards accepting gay marriage while others are considering laws and constitutional amendments banning gay marriage within state borders. President George Bush has recently proposed a ban on gay marriage in the U.S. Constitution (Hulse). If Americans carefully examine the situation, however, they should all be able to understand the importance of making same-sex marriage legal in the United States. Those opposing same-sex marriage claim that by allowing this act, marriages everywhere will lose their honor and validity (Kurtz). Marriages between a man and a woman would lose their special importance, these opponents argue, if the definition of marriage is expanded to include same-sex couples as well. The test of time has proven this fear pointless. For several years, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands have allowed gay marriage without any signs of damage to heterosexual couples. Social life in these countries continues unchanged, and no dramatic increases have appeared in the divorce rate (Dilanian). One cannot argue that the so-called traditional marriages in Europe between a man and a woman have been made less valuable. Others seeking to ban gay marriage...
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...Being an American citizen comes with many rights, one of those being the right to bear arms. Richard Henry Lee, one of our founding fathers, put it best when he said, “ To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, how to use them.” Since the very beginning of our country, guns have been an important part of our lives. Our founding fathers understood the importance of the second amendment and like them, I firmly believe that the second amendment is key to upholding our freedom. Under no circumstances should the government have the right to disarm the American people. The second amendment was put into place to give us control of our own defense; it is meant to give us the opportunity...
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...never were, nor ever will be, secure when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them,” at the Convention of Virginia in June 1788. He was trying to convey a message that showed the importance of citizens having their rights listed, so the government would never be able...
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...In 1975 the District of Columbia pass the Firearms Control Regulations Act which prohibited guns at home from being functional firearms and also made it nearly impossible to own a gun. This created conflict with the second amendment in the constitution, which states “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” It can be seen this law D.C. passed violates the constitution due to citizens not being able to have a functional firearm at their home. This caused the case of District of Columbia v. Heller to arise. Dick Anthony Heller, a police officer in D.C., applied for a one-year license that he would use to own a handgun at his place of residence. He was then denied the license. Heller sued D.C. on the account of not upholding his second amendment right. The district court’s response was it was not valid and it was dismissed. It was appealed by Heller and The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decided that making people have...
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...a challenge for anyone who does not have the upper hand. It is a country that romanticizes this idea of the “American Dream”, but has never lived up to the concept. What exactly is so dreamy about a country that neglects to protect its citizens? A country that exploits its citizens in order to cater to and benefit the interests of the wealthy individuals who hold power as a result of their financial influence? A country that has long promoted ideas of liberty, freedom, and equality while simultaneously failing to inforce civil rights for all citizens? In his book Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates tells of his experiences living in America as an African-American citizen and of the impact that such a lifestyle can have on one’s body and one’s mind....
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...young French explorer sets sale to the New World to study the American prison system. However, this is only simply a story to mislead others from his real objective. Alexis De Tocqueville is traveling to the New World to secretly study the great American Democracy. The purpose of this you might ask? The French must better understand American behaviors in how they feel and act, upon the essential nature of their freedoms. The French must take these learning and place them into their own practices to ensure they have a long last Democracy. In the Introduction chapter of “Democracy in America” by Alexis De Tocqueville and Richard D. Heffner, Heffner goes into length to describe all of the extravagant and detailed descriptions Tocqueville gives about the way Americans feel and act, due to the essential nature of freedoms from their Democracy. I have organized this paper into six different paragraphs that will be described in the following: First, an opening paragraph will let you know what literature I am referencing to when discussing this topic....
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...principles and values of the American Republic; how they were rooted into society and their reflections of the social conditions of the period. With the occurrence of the Bicentennial in 1976, Greene takes the chance to look at the viability of these original principles. The fundamental question that Greene concentrates on is whether the principles of 1776 have any relevance at this moment, if social and political conditions have not changed so drastically as to render the political system that had been developed between 1776 and 1789 entirely out of date or in need of revision. During the Revolutionary period, everything seemed to operate and promote political knowledge (55). The principles of civil liberties became the prevailing sentiments of the whole body of American citizens (55). Gordon S. Wood, Pulitzer prize winner for history in 1992 for his book titled The American Revolution1, called the analysis of the Revolutionary principles and characteristics as the “American science of politics.” Founding Fathers had a distrust in human nature. Human beings were imperfect and shaped by passion, prejudice, vanity, and interest which made it difficult to resist...
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...Living in a democratic society is a value and should not be underestimated. It provides its citizens the right to freely make choices to expand their potential as human beings. As a United States citizen, we are characterized as a member of having rights and responsibilities allowed, protected and supported by the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence. “We are a nation bound not by race or religion, but by the shared values of freedom, liberty, and equality”. (College for America, n.d.a). Throughout history, the United States has entertained and greeted immigrants from many countries. Immigrants have helped to form and establish the United States as we see it today. U.S. Citizens has the right to express their opinions on how the...
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...the battlefield plaster front pages of mass media. Radio stations constantly deliver updates to the homes of citizens. Currently, broadcasting stations air a round the clock television updates on prevalent issues. At a time when technology limited forms of communication, newspapers accumulated a majority of the responsibility for informing the public. Surprisingly, America as a nation, usually well informed and considerate of global issues and situations, left the Holocaust, the genocide of over six million Jews, Gypsies and handicapped across Germany and Poland, in the shadows of the concurrent war. Beginning in 1939, European countries engaged in a war that America clearly seemed unprepared to participate in. When America finally entered the war, the domestic concerns it faced at the time held precedence, even though it received news of the atrocities in Europe. The Holocaust, initially neglected as front-cover news, now holds a major concern and memory in American history. Since the start of World War II, strengthened and advanced reactions to the horrors of The Holocaust have ensued from simultaneously increasing publicity. As war broke out across Europe, Americans laid back, hoping to continue isolationist efforts. Still recovering from the Depression, newspaper companies held a large monopoly of the public information distribution (Holocaust). American citizens simply remained unaware that millions of people were suffering from discrimination and hatred. The New York...
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...utmost importance due to its impact on national security, the rule of law, and the well-being of American citizens. The Texas border conflict has direct and indirect effects on the lives of people in Texas and across the country, and addressing this issue is crucial for safeguarding the interests of American citizens. One of the most significant aspects of the Texas border conflict is its impact on national security. Conservatives argue that “porous” borders and unchecked illegal immigration pose a serious threat to the safety and security of the United States. The influx of illegal immigrants, including individuals with unknown backgrounds and potential criminal intentions, raises concerns about public safety and national security. The lack of effective border enforcement and the presence of drug cartels and criminal organizations along the border further exacerbates these concerns. Conservatives emphasize the need for robust border security measures to prevent illegal entry and protect the country from potential security threats....
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...Furthermore, John Lewis argues using a rhetorical question to emphasize that people without rights would not favor the Civil Rights Bill because the bill itself would not live up to its role of ensuring rights to every citizen. This would be useless not to include Title III, which would protect the citizens who are attacked by the state and its laws. To illustrate this idea, the spokesman describes,“...there is nothing to protect the young children and old women who must face police dogs and fire hoses in the South while they engage in peaceful demonstrations” (para 2). In making this comment, Lewis urges the audience to feel sympathy for the citizens who are being discriminated daily due to their skin tone. Also, he desires to motivate the...
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...Schools have always been the foundation of American society and teachers the masons. However, the motive of the educational system has been scrutinized since its inception. There are many theories, even today about its purpose. School rules, critical thinking skills, and everything else that schools facilitate and teachers teach are societal aspirations. These are the goals that are taught, in order to reach the underlying purpose. The purpose of the educational system is the same today as it was when our country was founded. It is political in its nature; it is to produce citizens that are capable of maintaining and participating in our democracy. From its inception, the American school system became a tool, a tool for our society's...
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