Federalist No. 51 was written by James Madison. He begins this essay off by describing the three separate branches of government, the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive. He explains that each branch should be independent and have the same amount of power. Then he talks about why there should be restrictions on power; he says that “if men were angels, no government would be necessary”. I really love the truth behind that quote. I treally, I don’t know, says it all. Our government is run by flawed human beings and the reason it works so well is because the founding fathers realized this. Sure, everything works when one man (or one branch of government) controls everything as long as that power is noble and just and fair 100% of the time. Our system was designed to take the flaws of mankind into account.
In the essay, Madison stresses that the government must be able to lay down the law and protect the rights of the people. There is a balance of power that needs to be achieved and I think we have done a pretty good job as far as that goes. There is a certain uncontrollable part of our three branch system that can be seen right now. You see, our system of government is designed to butt heads. When this conflict dissipates due to a super majority in the Congress that is allied with the president, stuff happens. I mean, really bad stuff won’t happen, like; the president isn’t going to become some kind of unstoppable tyrant and lead a campaign to conquer the world. What we are seeing now is how the President can rush legislation through congress which results in bad, legislation. Good examples of this could be “No Child Left Behind” and the Health Care Bill. Anyway, I don’t really have a better idea pertaining to how we should structure government; it’s pretty good as it is. I mean, it has flaws, but that’s fine; it was designed by flawed people.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
DC TRIP: The Capitol and NEWSeum
On Wednesday, march 24, I got to get up extra early and drive out to school at 6:00 A.M. Why would I decide to do such a thing? I drove out to school at 6:00 in the morning because both of the Wakefield Gov classes went to D.C. for the day. It was pretty awesome. After spending half an eternity in rush hour traffic, we walked around the Capitol and stood outside the visitor’s center while security processed us like raw meat. Luckily it was a beautiful, warm, sunny day and we had a spectacular view.
The tour was fun. We watched a really beautiful introductory video. I wanted to post a link to the video; but, unfortunately, I could not find it. There are several good videos about being an American that you can find by searching for "E pluribus Unum" on YouTube or Google video.
After the video, we toured the crypt level of the Capitol building and stood in the center of Washington. After that, we went up to the Rotunda and we saw the famous statues and the awesome paintings and we heard about the history behind the great dome and the statue, Freedom. Then we went into the “pink echo room” which was the 2nd room to house the House of Representatives. Because of the room’s acoustic properties, there are eight points where one can hear people when they’re whispering; which is why I call it the pink echo room. Unfortunately, that was when the tour ended; but it was fun.
Of course, the day had just begun… we still had so much more to see!
Random man, “RAAAAAAAGH!!! GOD DAMMIT!!! NO NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!” We had arrived at the NEWSeum. The previous information is quoted from a random man who flipped out when he passed by one of the news stands and learned that the health care bill had passed in the House. Needless to say, this portion of the trip started with some excitement. Once inside the museum err, excuse me; once we were inside the NEWSeum we split up into groups and were allowed to wander off and learn whatever we wanted. I was fascinated as I had never had the opportunity to visit the NEWSeum before. Ryan, Sarah and I visited the exhibits on President Lincoln’s assassination, Elvis, 9/11, freedom of the press, and the Presidential pets.
The exhibit on President Lincoln’s assassination was interesting, but, in truth, I didn’t really pay attention to it. One thing did catch my eye.
THIS is saying that National Treasure 2 LIED to me!! I couldn’t believe it! So, upon returning home, I went on Google news and found this:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=19770907&id=UxwvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2doFAAAAIBAJ&pg=979,1587301
Although, I’m not actually sure who’s correct (as I have not thoroughly researched this matter); I believe Google and Nicolas Cage.
The Elvis exhibit wasn’t particularly illuminating, but I enjoyed the recordings of his live performances and the news coverage of Elvis’ time in the military.
9/11. It has been the single most important event that I have lived through. Unfortunately, both my school and my parents decided that I was too young to deal with the traumatizing event. I guess I should not say “unfortunately”; it’s just that I never really experienced the horror of the whole affair. Anyway, the point is that I had never truly experienced the full impact of the event until I saw the footage that reporters took right there on the scene; the stuff from ground zero. I can’t really explain how powerful this experience was.
There was something on display that I thought was purely awesome; the NEWSeum had a significant portion of the 360ft. antenna from the World Trade Center. The whole exhibit was done very tastefully. There was a wall dedicated to front page articles that were printed immediately after the attack. I really liked it.
They also had a piece of the Pentagon wall from where it was hit and they had a the eagle that was on the head of the flagpole that was nearest to the 747 when it hit the pentagon. It was cool. Here are the pics.
The Freedom of the Press exhibit was cool and informative. They talked about the freedom of information in every country during the 21st century. I was surprised to learn that Italian government has begun to restrict the flow of information within Italy. Anyway, there was also a section about how journalists have special privileges and can go anywhere to get their story. For example: this is a truck that journalists were using to get footage of the war in Iraq.
I don’t have much to say about the Presidential pets exhibit. It focused on presidential dogs. They were cute. I really liked the panel on Clinton’s dog Buddy. I was sad that Socks was not included on Clinton’s little board thing. When I was little, I used to hang out with Socks and Buddy all the time. I even named my Beagle after Buddy. Anyway, that was the whole trip! All we did after the NEWSeum was drive back to school. All in all, it was a blast.
Wait… wait… no! THAT WASN’T THE WHOLE TRIP!!! After we passed the Presidential pets exhibit, I split off from the group and I saw a huge segment of the BERLIN WALL! IT WAS SOOOO COOOL!! Behind the wall, they had a full “death tower” that was taken from checkpoint Charlie.
Ok, now I’m done :D Err, well that was the end of the trip; but then I was greeted at the bus stop by this beautiful machine.
I luvz it so much... Anyway, I am now absolutely 100% done!
Goodnight and good luck ;)
The tour was fun. We watched a really beautiful introductory video. I wanted to post a link to the video; but, unfortunately, I could not find it. There are several good videos about being an American that you can find by searching for "E pluribus Unum" on YouTube or Google video.
After the video, we toured the crypt level of the Capitol building and stood in the center of Washington. After that, we went up to the Rotunda and we saw the famous statues and the awesome paintings and we heard about the history behind the great dome and the statue, Freedom. Then we went into the “pink echo room” which was the 2nd room to house the House of Representatives. Because of the room’s acoustic properties, there are eight points where one can hear people when they’re whispering; which is why I call it the pink echo room. Unfortunately, that was when the tour ended; but it was fun.
Of course, the day had just begun… we still had so much more to see!
Random man, “RAAAAAAAGH!!! GOD DAMMIT!!! NO NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!” We had arrived at the NEWSeum. The previous information is quoted from a random man who flipped out when he passed by one of the news stands and learned that the health care bill had passed in the House. Needless to say, this portion of the trip started with some excitement. Once inside the museum err, excuse me; once we were inside the NEWSeum we split up into groups and were allowed to wander off and learn whatever we wanted. I was fascinated as I had never had the opportunity to visit the NEWSeum before. Ryan, Sarah and I visited the exhibits on President Lincoln’s assassination, Elvis, 9/11, freedom of the press, and the Presidential pets.
The exhibit on President Lincoln’s assassination was interesting, but, in truth, I didn’t really pay attention to it. One thing did catch my eye.
THIS is saying that National Treasure 2 LIED to me!! I couldn’t believe it! So, upon returning home, I went on Google news and found this:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=19770907&id=UxwvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2doFAAAAIBAJ&pg=979,1587301
Although, I’m not actually sure who’s correct (as I have not thoroughly researched this matter); I believe Google and Nicolas Cage.
The Elvis exhibit wasn’t particularly illuminating, but I enjoyed the recordings of his live performances and the news coverage of Elvis’ time in the military.
9/11. It has been the single most important event that I have lived through. Unfortunately, both my school and my parents decided that I was too young to deal with the traumatizing event. I guess I should not say “unfortunately”; it’s just that I never really experienced the horror of the whole affair. Anyway, the point is that I had never truly experienced the full impact of the event until I saw the footage that reporters took right there on the scene; the stuff from ground zero. I can’t really explain how powerful this experience was.
There was something on display that I thought was purely awesome; the NEWSeum had a significant portion of the 360ft. antenna from the World Trade Center. The whole exhibit was done very tastefully. There was a wall dedicated to front page articles that were printed immediately after the attack. I really liked it.
They also had a piece of the Pentagon wall from where it was hit and they had a the eagle that was on the head of the flagpole that was nearest to the 747 when it hit the pentagon. It was cool. Here are the pics.
The Freedom of the Press exhibit was cool and informative. They talked about the freedom of information in every country during the 21st century. I was surprised to learn that Italian government has begun to restrict the flow of information within Italy. Anyway, there was also a section about how journalists have special privileges and can go anywhere to get their story. For example: this is a truck that journalists were using to get footage of the war in Iraq.
I don’t have much to say about the Presidential pets exhibit. It focused on presidential dogs. They were cute. I really liked the panel on Clinton’s dog Buddy. I was sad that Socks was not included on Clinton’s little board thing. When I was little, I used to hang out with Socks and Buddy all the time. I even named my Beagle after Buddy. Anyway, that was the whole trip! All we did after the NEWSeum was drive back to school. All in all, it was a blast.
Wait… wait… no! THAT WASN’T THE WHOLE TRIP!!! After we passed the Presidential pets exhibit, I split off from the group and I saw a huge segment of the BERLIN WALL! IT WAS SOOOO COOOL!! Behind the wall, they had a full “death tower” that was taken from checkpoint Charlie.
Ok, now I’m done :D Err, well that was the end of the trip; but then I was greeted at the bus stop by this beautiful machine.
I luvz it so much... Anyway, I am now absolutely 100% done!
Goodnight and good luck ;)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
What it Means to be an American
As an American I am one of the freest people in existence. From birth, I enjoy rights, freedoms, and liberties under the glorious constitution of the United States of America that others go through life without. As an American I enjoy the freedoms of religion, speech, press, expression; the right to bear arms, the right to a speedy trial by our peers, the right to be proven guilty, the right to due process of law just to name a few. There are so many things that we, as Americans, have available; things that we take for granted.
“You don’t really know how to appreciate the freedom you have in this country until you have lived in another country.” –Arturo Cruz
For example, as an American citizen when you are charged with a crime you are innocent until proven guilty. In Italy, however, if you are arrested you can be thrown in jail. Then, you are responsible for proving that you didn’t do whatever it is that you have been accused of. In the United States, assuming you are a citizen of course, you may be accused of a crime, at which point; you would have the right to face your accuser. Then, you could not be held for over 24 hours without cause, and if you are still thought to be guilty; you will have the right to a lawyer and a speedy trial. If you are not aware of your rights, they will be read to you. As an American citizen, you cannot be betrayed by your own ignorance and you cannot be tricked into incriminating yourself. Obviously, the system is not flawless; and I’m not trying to pretend that injustice does not find ways to seep into the cracks in our laws and exploit loopholes. Sometimes the unjust simply avoid the legal system by means of bribery, fear, or illegal use of power. For the most part though, our justice system is simply superb.
The right that Americans utilize the most, and the one they most often take for granted, is the freedom of speech. Well, maybe it’s freedom of the press, either way; expression. In the United States, Americans can speak their minds about anything! As an American, I find myself living in a country where the government recognizes that I have the right to speak out against it. It’s amazing! In what other country do citizens have that ability? Recently there was a report in the news about a group of citizens who spoke out against their government in the Middle East. Why was this in the news? Well, because the government in question didn’t like what was being said; so they sent the police to stop the protesters… violently. In America, citizens also enjoy the right of assembly. Americans can march right up to the White house gates and protest if they want to. Frequently, protests take place outside the capitol building.
What does it mean to be an American? Being an American means that you are lucky. Being an American means that you are free.
“You don’t really know how to appreciate the freedom you have in this country until you have lived in another country.” –Arturo Cruz
For example, as an American citizen when you are charged with a crime you are innocent until proven guilty. In Italy, however, if you are arrested you can be thrown in jail. Then, you are responsible for proving that you didn’t do whatever it is that you have been accused of. In the United States, assuming you are a citizen of course, you may be accused of a crime, at which point; you would have the right to face your accuser. Then, you could not be held for over 24 hours without cause, and if you are still thought to be guilty; you will have the right to a lawyer and a speedy trial. If you are not aware of your rights, they will be read to you. As an American citizen, you cannot be betrayed by your own ignorance and you cannot be tricked into incriminating yourself. Obviously, the system is not flawless; and I’m not trying to pretend that injustice does not find ways to seep into the cracks in our laws and exploit loopholes. Sometimes the unjust simply avoid the legal system by means of bribery, fear, or illegal use of power. For the most part though, our justice system is simply superb.
The right that Americans utilize the most, and the one they most often take for granted, is the freedom of speech. Well, maybe it’s freedom of the press, either way; expression. In the United States, Americans can speak their minds about anything! As an American, I find myself living in a country where the government recognizes that I have the right to speak out against it. It’s amazing! In what other country do citizens have that ability? Recently there was a report in the news about a group of citizens who spoke out against their government in the Middle East. Why was this in the news? Well, because the government in question didn’t like what was being said; so they sent the police to stop the protesters… violently. In America, citizens also enjoy the right of assembly. Americans can march right up to the White house gates and protest if they want to. Frequently, protests take place outside the capitol building.
What does it mean to be an American? Being an American means that you are lucky. Being an American means that you are free.
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