11/18

"The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God."

What this passage from John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address is explaining is how in today's modern society, humans have the power to do many things, and change civilization itself, yet we can't maintain the belief in which every individual has natural rights. Our country was built on the grounds in which naturally every single person had their own rights, and those rights are never supposed to be taken away by state. Many are facing this issue, and JFK wanted to prove that if we, as humans, have the power to fix issues happening around the world, then we should also be able to allow every citizen to have the inalienable rights they deserve. Many are getting this privilege taken away, and it is a global issue.

  The reason as to why I chose this specific passage is because, today in many different countries there are efforts being made to resolve issues such as poverty or illnesses, but are they resolving the natural rights of Citizens? What's the point of making an effort if the generosity of the state determine the right of man, no one can speak their own mind or take a stand to support a cause. This is a common problem that is happening currently by allowing the rights of individuals to be altered, or taken away based on what the state feels is right. 

11/8- Gerrymandering

"This speaks to the notion that the point of gerrymandering isn't to draw yourself a safe seat but to put your opponents in safe seats by cramming all of their supporters into a small number of districts. This lets you spread your own supporters over a larger number of districts. And the way to do this is to draw outlandishly-shaped districts that bring far-flung geographic areas together."

What this excerpt is trying to explain is how the practice of gerrymandering is a somewhat shifty tactic to get the majority on the side of the political party. What Gerrymandering accomplishes is manipulating boundaries, in which a range containing a majority of the voters are compacted in an area, while the rest of the voters are spread out, meaning the latter party will gain the most votes for the election. It's a dirty tactic, yet it remained effective somehow.

The reason as to why I chose this part of the passage is because in society today during elections, people have to go through bribes, and even lies. It's very surprising that a method like this can be used to win and gain an advantage in elections, spreading out and giving seats to a minority amount, while only waiting to still lose by a landslide against a majority, and this is caused by manipulating boundaries. Gerrymandering is a powerful method that can be used in today's society. 

From:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/05/15/americas-most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts/

11/1 Equal Rights

"Citizenship is a status bestowed on those who are full members of a community. All who possess the status are equal with respect to the rights and duties with which the status is endowed. There is no universal principle that determines what those rights and duties shall be, but societies in which citizenship is a developing institution create an image of an ideal citizenship against which achievement can be measured and towards which aspiration can be directed."

   What this quote from the article is trying to state is how the idea of citizenship is the same, yet different.   Certain roles are given to those citizens depending on the country, which is what makes citizenship different, but the idea of equality is the same. Although being part of a community allows you to gain a status of citizenship, and promotes equality, it can also be seen as "-a system of inequality," as Marshall stated in his article. There could be those with opposing principles as citizenship "can be based on a set of ideals, beliefs, and values." A society that is dedicated to working hard on citizenship and equality is the ideal society. 

   The reason as to why I chose this article is because there are societies where citizenship allows equality, but along with the restrictions of their own natural rights. In other words, you could have the same status and become equal with another person, yet both of you could have horrible jobs, or positions. Due to the fact that citizenship can be based on ideals, beliefs, and values, there are also many who oppose the idea depending on the society.