Ola Omar
Blog #11
The quote that I have selected for reflection #11 is from The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups by Mancur Olson. The quote that I have selected is "and once created they tend to play a crucial role." (Olson, p. 53).
Olson wrote this quote when he was talking about how organizations create so many groups, committees, and leadership positions. Once these groups are created, they have the ability to make an essential and positive impact in our society. Take in interest groups for example, Interest groups play a crucial role in government policy by influencing public policy. Interest groups even influence legislative and executive actions that are taken by the government on certain issues. Examples of interest groups can be the NAACP or the AFL-CIO which represents labor unions. The NAACP played a crucial role in society because it helped colored people and the labor unions need people who will stand by them to take sure that they get wages that they can live off of, so the AFL-CIO helps the working class people make sure that the government is not taking advantage of them.
I chose this quote because I agree that interests groups can play a crucial role in the government's decisions. For example, interests groups influence government policy by forming alliances, forming boycotts, and economically stable interest groups threaten to leave if they do not have a policy that they want that is not being reinforced. Do you think that the government or congress will want well funded and well networking interests groups to leave or not vote for them? I did not think so either. Also, if the interest groups get the government to pass the policies that they want, this can help the middle class and especially the poor classes of people get better opportunities and interest groups can help create equality. For example, when the interest groups opposed the increase in tax for the rich, they threatened to vote for another candidate. I know that rich people have money, but they have families to feed too and if they do not take good care of their money, it can be gone tomorrow. Therefore, putting an increase on tax for the rich is unfair. I think that interest groups need to stay because they can prevent elite groups from having too much power over U.S citizens.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Blog #10
Ola Omar
Blog #10
The quote that I have chosen is from Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1). The quote that I have chosen is "They argued that such segregation violated Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment."
The Brown vs. The Board of Education case was a case that was about how black and white students were being segregated into different schools due to their race in many states such as Virginia, Kansas, and Washington D.C. Many people argued that separating students into different schools due to their race is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. In the end of the Brown vs. Board of Education case, the judges came to a conclusion that denying students the right to go to certain schools because of their skin color is indeed a violation of the 14th Amendment and gives African American a sense of inferiority over the white students. The judges also came to the conclusion that segregating white and black students in public schools left a detrimental effect in the development of black students. Therefore, chief justice Earl Warren was the one to say the decision of the unanimous court.
I chose this quote because I feel like segregating public schools based on race was indeed a huge issue. I absolutely agree that the segregation of public schools based on race did indeed violate the Equal Protection clause. The 14th Amendment says "nor deny to any person with in its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The 14th Amendment clearly states that U.S citizens should be equally protected by the laws of the U.S constitution. Therefore, nobody should have an advantage over others when it comes to where people could eat, live, shop, or go to school. How were the rights of black people being protected by the 14th amendment when they could not get a good education at the time? I know that black and white students both went to schools, even though the schools were segregated based on the color of each students skin, but lets face it, we all know which schools got the best resources for students to learn and that was the schools that was for white student only.
If young black students see that they are the ones who are not being well educated, then they will have low self esteem because they will exhibit how their skin color is the reason why they are not being provided with opportunities. Also, with academic resources being scarce and the school conditions being poor, how will the black students learn in such terrible conditions? Of course the white students will be able to learn better and get more academic experience when they are going to good schools with good resources and black students are barely getting by with the detrimental conditions of their schools. The segregation of public schools is just setting black students up for failure. Not only does the segregation of public schools for students based on their race hurt the black students, but it also hurts the white students as well because they will feel a sense of superiority over black students.
Segregation is also another word for separation, so I feel like separating black and white students from one another leads to a lack of communication between the two groups of people and encourages stereotypes among different groups of people. I am glad that the courts realized that the segregation of schools will indeed cause negative and harmful effects for black students. I feel like without the Brown vs. Board of Education case, black students would not have had the equal opportunity as white students to become successful or make something of themselves. This case made America more of a nation for everyone and not a nation for only one particular race. Even though America has a long way to go with racial and minority issues, more opportunities did open up for black students after this case such as Barack Obama becoming president because without getting a good education, Obama would not have the skills he needed to make it so far in his life. Obama was running against a white candidate and yet he still won the presidential election. Therefore, Obama proved that it does not matter what skin color you are, what matters is how well a person is willing to go the extra mile in order for him to succeed in his life. Being smart or succeeding in life does not have to do with what color your skin is, it has to do with how hard you are willing to working, how well your effort is when you do something, and how hard you push yourself because perseverance is everything.
Blog #10
The quote that I have chosen is from Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1). The quote that I have chosen is "They argued that such segregation violated Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment."
The Brown vs. The Board of Education case was a case that was about how black and white students were being segregated into different schools due to their race in many states such as Virginia, Kansas, and Washington D.C. Many people argued that separating students into different schools due to their race is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. In the end of the Brown vs. Board of Education case, the judges came to a conclusion that denying students the right to go to certain schools because of their skin color is indeed a violation of the 14th Amendment and gives African American a sense of inferiority over the white students. The judges also came to the conclusion that segregating white and black students in public schools left a detrimental effect in the development of black students. Therefore, chief justice Earl Warren was the one to say the decision of the unanimous court.
I chose this quote because I feel like segregating public schools based on race was indeed a huge issue. I absolutely agree that the segregation of public schools based on race did indeed violate the Equal Protection clause. The 14th Amendment says "nor deny to any person with in its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The 14th Amendment clearly states that U.S citizens should be equally protected by the laws of the U.S constitution. Therefore, nobody should have an advantage over others when it comes to where people could eat, live, shop, or go to school. How were the rights of black people being protected by the 14th amendment when they could not get a good education at the time? I know that black and white students both went to schools, even though the schools were segregated based on the color of each students skin, but lets face it, we all know which schools got the best resources for students to learn and that was the schools that was for white student only.
If young black students see that they are the ones who are not being well educated, then they will have low self esteem because they will exhibit how their skin color is the reason why they are not being provided with opportunities. Also, with academic resources being scarce and the school conditions being poor, how will the black students learn in such terrible conditions? Of course the white students will be able to learn better and get more academic experience when they are going to good schools with good resources and black students are barely getting by with the detrimental conditions of their schools. The segregation of public schools is just setting black students up for failure. Not only does the segregation of public schools for students based on their race hurt the black students, but it also hurts the white students as well because they will feel a sense of superiority over black students.
Segregation is also another word for separation, so I feel like separating black and white students from one another leads to a lack of communication between the two groups of people and encourages stereotypes among different groups of people. I am glad that the courts realized that the segregation of schools will indeed cause negative and harmful effects for black students. I feel like without the Brown vs. Board of Education case, black students would not have had the equal opportunity as white students to become successful or make something of themselves. This case made America more of a nation for everyone and not a nation for only one particular race. Even though America has a long way to go with racial and minority issues, more opportunities did open up for black students after this case such as Barack Obama becoming president because without getting a good education, Obama would not have the skills he needed to make it so far in his life. Obama was running against a white candidate and yet he still won the presidential election. Therefore, Obama proved that it does not matter what skin color you are, what matters is how well a person is willing to go the extra mile in order for him to succeed in his life. Being smart or succeeding in life does not have to do with what color your skin is, it has to do with how hard you are willing to working, how well your effort is when you do something, and how hard you push yourself because perseverance is everything.
Blog #9
Ola Omar
Blog #9
The quote that I have selected is from the Barack Obama speech at 2004 DNC Convention. The quote that I selected is "In a tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success." (Obama, 2004).
This quote means that if U.S citizens live in an equal and justice America, then where you come from has no negative impact in the way your life will be. Barack Obama's parents named him a black name because they came to America for a better life through hard work and perseverance and they believed that naming their child a black name such as Barack would not have a negative impact in how far Barack Obama would get in his life. Barack said this in his speech in the DNC convention because he wants to let Americans know that it does not matter where you come from or how you look like, if you work hard and have faith in the American system, then you can be any successful person you want to be here in America. Through the speech at the DNC convention, Obama wants to let U.S citizens know that America is more diverse than it has ever been in the 21st century and there are more opportunities in America for all of the people if we (the people) just keep pushing ourselves to be successful.
In this speech, Obama also wants to let the people of America know that you do not need to be rich in order to be successful. Obama did a good job in achieving Neustadt's way of a president having power because Obama really persuaded his audience when he said that even non wealthy people can still be successful. I think that all Americans are looking for someone to represent America that has a mindset of all Americans having a chance at holding high positions in our society, no matter where our backgrounds or culture may be. Obama had an advantage in the speech that he gave because his parents were not wealthy and came from working class families. His mom's side of the family were oil farmers and his dad's side of the family were British servants, but yet Obama still managed to go to Ivy League schools and become the president of the U.S. Therefore, Obama's personal story is a great example of how U.S citizens can overcome the odds if they just believe they can, no matter what race, family, or background they may come from.
I chose this quote because I believe that with the right person representing America, America can be a place where your name and where your name comes from does not determine your status in this world. I like how Obama said that we are all one because I think that that statement is very true. I believe that if U.S citizens stand as one and look out for each other, then less problems would emerge and also if the congress or the government see us clashing with one another, then they will take advantage of us by empowering their class only. Even though Obama gave such a persuasive speech at the convention, he failed to abide by the promises he made such as not being able to receive massive victories.
I think that one of the reasons why America does not have such a strong political history is because of the people as well. People complain about the government, but yet they believed Trump when he said he would get us more jobs. To me, American citizens made one of the worse decisions when they let Trump become president. I know that the electoral college had a big impact in Trump becoming president, but some of those votes did not come out of no where. Spanish people saw him calling them racist names, but yet he won more votes from them than other presidents in the U.S. American citizens need to judge who they want to represent them better. We need to stop looking at the candidates race or sex and start electing our leaders based on their moral values, their knowledge, or how well they carry themselves. I know the Clinton's do not have a strong reputation with political insiders, but I do think she was more fit to take on the job as being president of the U.S.A.
Blog #9
The quote that I have selected is from the Barack Obama speech at 2004 DNC Convention. The quote that I selected is "In a tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success." (Obama, 2004).
This quote means that if U.S citizens live in an equal and justice America, then where you come from has no negative impact in the way your life will be. Barack Obama's parents named him a black name because they came to America for a better life through hard work and perseverance and they believed that naming their child a black name such as Barack would not have a negative impact in how far Barack Obama would get in his life. Barack said this in his speech in the DNC convention because he wants to let Americans know that it does not matter where you come from or how you look like, if you work hard and have faith in the American system, then you can be any successful person you want to be here in America. Through the speech at the DNC convention, Obama wants to let U.S citizens know that America is more diverse than it has ever been in the 21st century and there are more opportunities in America for all of the people if we (the people) just keep pushing ourselves to be successful.
In this speech, Obama also wants to let the people of America know that you do not need to be rich in order to be successful. Obama did a good job in achieving Neustadt's way of a president having power because Obama really persuaded his audience when he said that even non wealthy people can still be successful. I think that all Americans are looking for someone to represent America that has a mindset of all Americans having a chance at holding high positions in our society, no matter where our backgrounds or culture may be. Obama had an advantage in the speech that he gave because his parents were not wealthy and came from working class families. His mom's side of the family were oil farmers and his dad's side of the family were British servants, but yet Obama still managed to go to Ivy League schools and become the president of the U.S. Therefore, Obama's personal story is a great example of how U.S citizens can overcome the odds if they just believe they can, no matter what race, family, or background they may come from.
I chose this quote because I believe that with the right person representing America, America can be a place where your name and where your name comes from does not determine your status in this world. I like how Obama said that we are all one because I think that that statement is very true. I believe that if U.S citizens stand as one and look out for each other, then less problems would emerge and also if the congress or the government see us clashing with one another, then they will take advantage of us by empowering their class only. Even though Obama gave such a persuasive speech at the convention, he failed to abide by the promises he made such as not being able to receive massive victories.
I think that one of the reasons why America does not have such a strong political history is because of the people as well. People complain about the government, but yet they believed Trump when he said he would get us more jobs. To me, American citizens made one of the worse decisions when they let Trump become president. I know that the electoral college had a big impact in Trump becoming president, but some of those votes did not come out of no where. Spanish people saw him calling them racist names, but yet he won more votes from them than other presidents in the U.S. American citizens need to judge who they want to represent them better. We need to stop looking at the candidates race or sex and start electing our leaders based on their moral values, their knowledge, or how well they carry themselves. I know the Clinton's do not have a strong reputation with political insiders, but I do think she was more fit to take on the job as being president of the U.S.A.
Blog #8
Ola Omar
Blog #7
The quote that I chose is from "What 60 years of political gerrymandering looks" by Christopher Ingraham. The quote that I have chose is "gerrymandering undermines the whole notion of a representative government." (Ingraham, 2004).
Gerrymandering is a strategy used to divide districts in each state to benefit a certain party. This quote means that since the districts are already being divided to benefit a particular party, then how are the people really suppose to chose a person that they believe is best fit to represent their government. The people who are representing us are using the power that they have to their advantage by dividing districts for their own well-being. Congress members being more receptive to their districts is one of the reasons why gerrymandering undermines the main point of having a representative government. All of the districts are being divided by the government and the government is trying to better the problems of the districts that they are benefited from and this strategy divides not only the districts, but the people of the different districts from one another. The government is manipulating the people of their districts to get them on their side and this is robbing the people of picking an honest leader to represent them.
I chose this quote because I for one believe that gerrymandering does rob people from the whole point of what a representative government should be. For example, I believe that the government divides districts up because they get something out of it. If the government did not get anything out of dividing the districts up, I do not think that they would like the idea of gerrymandering. However, I do believe that the people can chose how gerrymandering effects them. If the people of the districts are letting the government manipulate them, then they can not complain about something that they do not like, but if the people of the districts do not let the party that divided them have a power over them, then the government will start representing their people in a way that their people want to be represented.
Blog #7
The quote that I chose is from "What 60 years of political gerrymandering looks" by Christopher Ingraham. The quote that I have chose is "gerrymandering undermines the whole notion of a representative government." (Ingraham, 2004).
Gerrymandering is a strategy used to divide districts in each state to benefit a certain party. This quote means that since the districts are already being divided to benefit a particular party, then how are the people really suppose to chose a person that they believe is best fit to represent their government. The people who are representing us are using the power that they have to their advantage by dividing districts for their own well-being. Congress members being more receptive to their districts is one of the reasons why gerrymandering undermines the main point of having a representative government. All of the districts are being divided by the government and the government is trying to better the problems of the districts that they are benefited from and this strategy divides not only the districts, but the people of the different districts from one another. The government is manipulating the people of their districts to get them on their side and this is robbing the people of picking an honest leader to represent them.
I chose this quote because I for one believe that gerrymandering does rob people from the whole point of what a representative government should be. For example, I believe that the government divides districts up because they get something out of it. If the government did not get anything out of dividing the districts up, I do not think that they would like the idea of gerrymandering. However, I do believe that the people can chose how gerrymandering effects them. If the people of the districts are letting the government manipulate them, then they can not complain about something that they do not like, but if the people of the districts do not let the party that divided them have a power over them, then the government will start representing their people in a way that their people want to be represented.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Blog #7
Ola Omar
Blog #7
The quote that I have selected for reflection #7 is from Citizenship and Social Class by T.H Marshall. The quote that I have selected for reflection #7 is "Civil rights gave legal powers whose use was drastically curtailed by class prejudice and lack of opportunity." (T.H Marshall, p. 153).
What Marshall is trying to tell his readers is that the civil rights of U.S citizens is supposed to protect the rights of U.S citizens through the laws of the U.S constitution, but instead the civil rights gave legal powers such as the president, the congress, and the U.S government the opportunity to abuse the true meaning of the civil rights and use the civil rights to impose prejudice among Americans who are not in their class or who are not wealthy like the legal powers. Civil rights are rights that humans are entitled to by the U.S constitution without the government's interference. For example, civil rights can be the right to vote or the right to be protected by the laws of the U.S constitution.The government is in charge of enforcing the laws to be abided by the U.S citizens and enforcing consequences upon all U.S citizens who break these laws. However, instead of using the civil rights as a way to restore equality among U.S citizens in America, the government has interpreted the civil rights of U.S citizens in their own way by choosing who they want to punish and how they want to punish their people.
For example, the U.S government is full of either white or wealthy people and they think that they are above it all. They seem to only be imposing consequences on people who are not white or wealthy who break the law and that is not fair. We are all human beings and god made us all bleed the same color. How does the law protect black people when black people seem to be getting killed lately all because the police officers feel threatened by their skin color? I used this problem in my other blogs many times before, but I find this problem occurring a lot lately and what bothers me is that the police officers get no consequences whatsoever. All they get is a slap on the wrist. If a black person got killed once because the police thought he was armed, then, I would give the police the benefit of the doubt and say it was an accident and we all make accidents once in our life time even if we are police officers, but this is not the case. What bothers me even more is that the judge sees that these black people are dying and they keep allowing the police officers to be found innocent, so if the police officers are not found guilty, what is going to stop them from killing another innocent life again?
The government has bestowed stereotypes among certain groups of U.S citizens that are not true and that are only causing havoc in our society. There is also a lack of opportunity for many people in this country because of these stereotypes that the government has bestowed among its people. For example, U.S citizens have the right to vote, but yet the people who they choose to represent their country are not doing a very good job in providing services for the poor or making sure that all middle class people are in a stable place. When I looked at the Total Federal Spending chart, the government only used 3% of that money towards the education of the U.S citizens. How will the younger generations make something of themselves if they do not have a good enough education. Also, 2% of that money was used for transportation. How will people get to their schools or jobs on time when they do not have transportation to take them where they need to be? 27% of that money was used for health care and to me that is a low amount of money for the government to put towards making sure their people are healthy. The government needs to stop making sure their class is okay and start making better decisions for the sake of all of their people.
I chose this quote because I believe that the government has not protected the rights of their people with the laws of the constitution and the quote I have selected is exactly why I think this is true. Due to the racial stigma that is placed upon people of different races, the rights of those people are not protected, which has made the opportunities available for those people very little or not the same as the wealthy people. The U.S is supposed to be the land of the free, but yet people still feel trapped or scared by the government's actions and that is why Douglas says that independence day is not for colored people to celebrate. Slavery ended, but yet racism still has a way of making America an unjust place to be in. Everyone in America has the right to vote, but yet our representatives are not representing us in an honest way and that is why Thoreau was disgusted by his government. He wanted the government to enforce the laws of the constitution without influencing a corrupt society.
Blog #7
The quote that I have selected for reflection #7 is from Citizenship and Social Class by T.H Marshall. The quote that I have selected for reflection #7 is "Civil rights gave legal powers whose use was drastically curtailed by class prejudice and lack of opportunity." (T.H Marshall, p. 153).
What Marshall is trying to tell his readers is that the civil rights of U.S citizens is supposed to protect the rights of U.S citizens through the laws of the U.S constitution, but instead the civil rights gave legal powers such as the president, the congress, and the U.S government the opportunity to abuse the true meaning of the civil rights and use the civil rights to impose prejudice among Americans who are not in their class or who are not wealthy like the legal powers. Civil rights are rights that humans are entitled to by the U.S constitution without the government's interference. For example, civil rights can be the right to vote or the right to be protected by the laws of the U.S constitution.The government is in charge of enforcing the laws to be abided by the U.S citizens and enforcing consequences upon all U.S citizens who break these laws. However, instead of using the civil rights as a way to restore equality among U.S citizens in America, the government has interpreted the civil rights of U.S citizens in their own way by choosing who they want to punish and how they want to punish their people.
For example, the U.S government is full of either white or wealthy people and they think that they are above it all. They seem to only be imposing consequences on people who are not white or wealthy who break the law and that is not fair. We are all human beings and god made us all bleed the same color. How does the law protect black people when black people seem to be getting killed lately all because the police officers feel threatened by their skin color? I used this problem in my other blogs many times before, but I find this problem occurring a lot lately and what bothers me is that the police officers get no consequences whatsoever. All they get is a slap on the wrist. If a black person got killed once because the police thought he was armed, then, I would give the police the benefit of the doubt and say it was an accident and we all make accidents once in our life time even if we are police officers, but this is not the case. What bothers me even more is that the judge sees that these black people are dying and they keep allowing the police officers to be found innocent, so if the police officers are not found guilty, what is going to stop them from killing another innocent life again?
The government has bestowed stereotypes among certain groups of U.S citizens that are not true and that are only causing havoc in our society. There is also a lack of opportunity for many people in this country because of these stereotypes that the government has bestowed among its people. For example, U.S citizens have the right to vote, but yet the people who they choose to represent their country are not doing a very good job in providing services for the poor or making sure that all middle class people are in a stable place. When I looked at the Total Federal Spending chart, the government only used 3% of that money towards the education of the U.S citizens. How will the younger generations make something of themselves if they do not have a good enough education. Also, 2% of that money was used for transportation. How will people get to their schools or jobs on time when they do not have transportation to take them where they need to be? 27% of that money was used for health care and to me that is a low amount of money for the government to put towards making sure their people are healthy. The government needs to stop making sure their class is okay and start making better decisions for the sake of all of their people.
I chose this quote because I believe that the government has not protected the rights of their people with the laws of the constitution and the quote I have selected is exactly why I think this is true. Due to the racial stigma that is placed upon people of different races, the rights of those people are not protected, which has made the opportunities available for those people very little or not the same as the wealthy people. The U.S is supposed to be the land of the free, but yet people still feel trapped or scared by the government's actions and that is why Douglas says that independence day is not for colored people to celebrate. Slavery ended, but yet racism still has a way of making America an unjust place to be in. Everyone in America has the right to vote, but yet our representatives are not representing us in an honest way and that is why Thoreau was disgusted by his government. He wanted the government to enforce the laws of the constitution without influencing a corrupt society.
Blog #6
Ola Omar
Blog #6
The quote that I have selected is from the essay Civil disobedience by Henry Thoreau. The quote that I have selected is "What I have to do is to see at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn." (Thoreau, p. 226).
Thoreau is saying that if the government is passing laws that are injustice towards society and do not effect the society that the government governs in an equal way, then the society that the government is governing should rebel against those unjust laws. Thoreau argues that civil disobedience should be exhibited by society when the government is passing laws that are not right. For example, Thoreau himself challenged authorities when he refused to pay taxes because he believed that the tax money was being used for immoral reasons. What Thoreau is trying to tell his readers is that even though the government has power over us and controls how the law is used, we the people have a control over the government as well. The government can only do what we the people allow the government to do. If we see that a law is wrong or not being abided by, then the U.S citizens should do something about it, such as protesting, holding rallies, writing the government letters stating our opinions, spreading the word around, and more.
Therefore, I for one agree with Thoreau when he says to "let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step towards obtaining it." (Thoreau, p. 222). Thoreau is saying that we (the citizens) need to make our voices heard when we see something wrong. If the government actually sees U.S citizens actually taking a stand and not putting up with their unjust ways, then they will change the ways in how the laws are abided by. Sometimes, U.S citizens think that what the government says is how America will run, but they are wrong. The important thing is that U.S citizens help each other. Sometimes, U.S citizens think that since it does not effect them, then they do not need to speak up for others who are being negatively impacted by the way the government governs the U.S. If the U.S citizens do not take care of each other, then how will the government respect the U.S citizens when we the U.S citizens do not respect each other. However, if the government sees that U.S citizens stand together, then I am sure that they will take the complaints of U.S citizens more seriously.
I selected this quote because I like Thoreau am not happy with the way the government runs the U.S at times. I do not think they are doing such a bad job, but some things are not fair in the U.S The constitution claims that there should be no harsh punishments, there should be freedom for speech for U.S citizens, or that slavery is abolished, but yet cops killing black children seems to be a problem nowadays and U.S citizens still feel like something is missing. I feel like if U.S citizens see that the government do not abide by the laws that are in the U.S constitution, then they should start petitions or do anything, but if the U.S citizens just allow the government to influence or accept the unjust stereotypes that the government has placed upon them or if the U.S citizens accept the government' s wrong way of interpreting the law, then the government will feel even more superior. The main thing that I believe will not allow the government to gain too much power of their people is when the U.S citizens stand together as one.
Blog #6
The quote that I have selected is from the essay Civil disobedience by Henry Thoreau. The quote that I have selected is "What I have to do is to see at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn." (Thoreau, p. 226).
Thoreau is saying that if the government is passing laws that are injustice towards society and do not effect the society that the government governs in an equal way, then the society that the government is governing should rebel against those unjust laws. Thoreau argues that civil disobedience should be exhibited by society when the government is passing laws that are not right. For example, Thoreau himself challenged authorities when he refused to pay taxes because he believed that the tax money was being used for immoral reasons. What Thoreau is trying to tell his readers is that even though the government has power over us and controls how the law is used, we the people have a control over the government as well. The government can only do what we the people allow the government to do. If we see that a law is wrong or not being abided by, then the U.S citizens should do something about it, such as protesting, holding rallies, writing the government letters stating our opinions, spreading the word around, and more.
Therefore, I for one agree with Thoreau when he says to "let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step towards obtaining it." (Thoreau, p. 222). Thoreau is saying that we (the citizens) need to make our voices heard when we see something wrong. If the government actually sees U.S citizens actually taking a stand and not putting up with their unjust ways, then they will change the ways in how the laws are abided by. Sometimes, U.S citizens think that what the government says is how America will run, but they are wrong. The important thing is that U.S citizens help each other. Sometimes, U.S citizens think that since it does not effect them, then they do not need to speak up for others who are being negatively impacted by the way the government governs the U.S. If the U.S citizens do not take care of each other, then how will the government respect the U.S citizens when we the U.S citizens do not respect each other. However, if the government sees that U.S citizens stand together, then I am sure that they will take the complaints of U.S citizens more seriously.
I selected this quote because I like Thoreau am not happy with the way the government runs the U.S at times. I do not think they are doing such a bad job, but some things are not fair in the U.S The constitution claims that there should be no harsh punishments, there should be freedom for speech for U.S citizens, or that slavery is abolished, but yet cops killing black children seems to be a problem nowadays and U.S citizens still feel like something is missing. I feel like if U.S citizens see that the government do not abide by the laws that are in the U.S constitution, then they should start petitions or do anything, but if the U.S citizens just allow the government to influence or accept the unjust stereotypes that the government has placed upon them or if the U.S citizens accept the government' s wrong way of interpreting the law, then the government will feel even more superior. The main thing that I believe will not allow the government to gain too much power of their people is when the U.S citizens stand together as one.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Blog #5
Ola Omar
Blog #5
The quote that I have selected for reflection #5 is from The Seventh of March Speech. The quote that I have selected from The Seventh of March Speech is "that it is found merely in the right of the strongest; and that is an oppression, like unjust wars." (Shewmaker, p.121-130).
The quote that I have selected means that slavery is unfair for several reasons, but I think that one of the main reasons why slavery is unfair is because the elite people or the people who have privileges over the rest of society are always the ones to influence things like slavery among their societies. That is what "that it is found merely in the right of the strongest" (Shewmaker, p. 121-130) means. The narrator is saying that there should be no group of people oppressing another group of any kind because superiority groups having that kind of power over certain groups of people is like a war where you know what group is most likely going to win. It is funny how when you ask the people who are the oppressors if they would like the unjust act that they are committing to be committed to them, whether it be slavery or anything else, they say no or they hesitate, but when they are oppressing other people that are not from their same class or race or background, then they try to find an excuse to justify their inappropriate behavior. Slavery is also an act of oppression because slavery is a way to dehumanize someone and by someone I mean black people.
For example, the masters of slaves are always white and the masters examine their slaves as if the slaves are objects before they take their slaves and how do they get the slaves as their own you ask? The masters buy their slaves at an auction as if slaves are property and when the slaves are bought by their masters, they are not even treated right. The slaves are starved, tortured through hard labor, and the slaves have to do whatever their master tells them or else they are severely whipped. Therefore, if slavery is not an act of oppression, I do not know what is. Slavery was also one of the reason why the North and South fought in the Civil war. The reason why slavery was a reason that the North and South went to war was because the South did not want to abolish slavery. The South starting The Civil War because they wanted to keep oppressing slaves for their own benefits is a great example of the narrator saying the slavery is an oppression "like unjust wars." (Skewmaker, p. 123-130). The South wanted to keep torturing African Americans which led the North to fight for African Americans by fighting in a brutal war where many lives were tragically lost and part of the lost lives from both the North and the South sides was because the South wanted to keep oppressing black people by continuing slavery.
I have selected this quote because I believe that the reason why the North is not performing their constitutional duties for the people who escaped to free states is because the government, the senators, the president, and the congress are the strongest forces in the U.S and they are oppressing people with their behavior today. For example, I believe that things like slavery and other horrible things happened in the past and are happening in the present because the strongest forces are either oppressing their people (like how the South oppressed African Americans with slavery) or because the people in charge of making America successful are not doing a very good job in governing America. The wealthy or white people being superior than everyone else is a pattern that I keep seeing. The government only really abides by the laws of the constitution for their own benefit. If a black man is not armed, but a police officer kills him just because he feels threatened by his presence, their is a light consequence, but if a black male robs a store, he has a harsher penalty. What the judges need to do is give a person the time that he deserves and not "establish a line of truth and justice for their own convictions.' (Skewmaker, p. 123-130).
Blog #5
The quote that I have selected for reflection #5 is from The Seventh of March Speech. The quote that I have selected from The Seventh of March Speech is "that it is found merely in the right of the strongest; and that is an oppression, like unjust wars." (Shewmaker, p.121-130).
The quote that I have selected means that slavery is unfair for several reasons, but I think that one of the main reasons why slavery is unfair is because the elite people or the people who have privileges over the rest of society are always the ones to influence things like slavery among their societies. That is what "that it is found merely in the right of the strongest" (Shewmaker, p. 121-130) means. The narrator is saying that there should be no group of people oppressing another group of any kind because superiority groups having that kind of power over certain groups of people is like a war where you know what group is most likely going to win. It is funny how when you ask the people who are the oppressors if they would like the unjust act that they are committing to be committed to them, whether it be slavery or anything else, they say no or they hesitate, but when they are oppressing other people that are not from their same class or race or background, then they try to find an excuse to justify their inappropriate behavior. Slavery is also an act of oppression because slavery is a way to dehumanize someone and by someone I mean black people.
For example, the masters of slaves are always white and the masters examine their slaves as if the slaves are objects before they take their slaves and how do they get the slaves as their own you ask? The masters buy their slaves at an auction as if slaves are property and when the slaves are bought by their masters, they are not even treated right. The slaves are starved, tortured through hard labor, and the slaves have to do whatever their master tells them or else they are severely whipped. Therefore, if slavery is not an act of oppression, I do not know what is. Slavery was also one of the reason why the North and South fought in the Civil war. The reason why slavery was a reason that the North and South went to war was because the South did not want to abolish slavery. The South starting The Civil War because they wanted to keep oppressing slaves for their own benefits is a great example of the narrator saying the slavery is an oppression "like unjust wars." (Skewmaker, p. 123-130). The South wanted to keep torturing African Americans which led the North to fight for African Americans by fighting in a brutal war where many lives were tragically lost and part of the lost lives from both the North and the South sides was because the South wanted to keep oppressing black people by continuing slavery.
I have selected this quote because I believe that the reason why the North is not performing their constitutional duties for the people who escaped to free states is because the government, the senators, the president, and the congress are the strongest forces in the U.S and they are oppressing people with their behavior today. For example, I believe that things like slavery and other horrible things happened in the past and are happening in the present because the strongest forces are either oppressing their people (like how the South oppressed African Americans with slavery) or because the people in charge of making America successful are not doing a very good job in governing America. The wealthy or white people being superior than everyone else is a pattern that I keep seeing. The government only really abides by the laws of the constitution for their own benefit. If a black man is not armed, but a police officer kills him just because he feels threatened by his presence, their is a light consequence, but if a black male robs a store, he has a harsher penalty. What the judges need to do is give a person the time that he deserves and not "establish a line of truth and justice for their own convictions.' (Skewmaker, p. 123-130).
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