Five ways the U.S. Constitution affects your life
The U.S. Constitution is one of the most important, if not the MOST important document in United States history. The Constitution protects our individual freedoms and its fundamental principles that govern our nation. Most importantly, the Constitution limits the power of the government and establishes a system of checks and balances. So, what are some ways the Constitution impact YOU as a citizen?
1. As citizens, you are granted the right to vote (as long as you're 18 and over)
Personally, I feel as if many individuals, especially those who are my age, show a lack of care for taking part in politics. Especially during the past election season, many students did not vote simply because they "did not care" to or "have the time" to vote; however, those who I spoke to were first to complain about why they did not like a particular candidate. Simply put, if you did not vote, do not complain. Countries ruled under a dictatorship, or some other extremist authoritarian government, wish they had the right to a fair election process.
2. You have the right to practice any religion
Imagine living in a nation where you could be killed or jailed for your religious beliefs. Imagine being confined to a certain set of beliefs. According to a 2016 report on international religious freedoms in China, the People's Republic of China's constitution states that citizens have "freedom of religious belief but limits protections for religious practice to 'normal religious activities.'" Only religious groups belonging to either Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Catholic, or Protestant, are permitted to hold worship services. So before you make the argument that our current government system is entirely flawed, take a better look at countries who do not have religious freedom.
3. We have the ability to say (or write) anything we want
As compared to countries that are not ruled under a democracy, especially places like North Korea, individuals are censored on what they can and cannot say. Individuals who choose to speak negatively about his or her government, face the possibly of death, or possibly, jail. Contrastingly, even though there are repercussions to one's words or actions, the U.S. government cannot infringe upon one's freedom of speech (which in my opinion is one of the most important, if not the most, of the ten amendments).
4. We have the right to keep and bear arms (aka we can own guns)
Although personally, I would not ever buy a gun (partly because they scare me), American citizens have the right to keep and bear arms. People should be able to protect themselves, without the government being able to take that right away. Aside from personal protection, our right to keep and bear arms prevents the government from taking away our rights, because we can exercise our right to resist. Yes, the multiple school shootings that have occurred over the past several years are horrible, but stricter gun laws would not prevent more from happening. Criminals will still find a way to obtain guns. But, just because criminals are improperly using guns, it does not mean law-abiding American citizens should have his or her right to keep and bear arms revoked. We the people have the right to protect ourselves.
5. We are free to gather and participate in a protest
Similarly to our ability to say (or write) anything we want, we have the ability to speak and protest on issues that matter to us, regardless of who may agree or disagree. Individuals who live under a dictatorship face the inevitable possibility of being executed if they protest against their government, which as stated, is a complete juxtaposition to what American citizens face. Whether it is protesting on the basis of gun control, the pro-choice movement, or contrastingly, the pro-life movement, the government cannot infringe on our right for peaceful protest.
...saying I am proud to be an American would be an understatement. Name a better country, I will wait.
1. As citizens, you are granted the right to vote (as long as you're 18 and over)
Personally, I feel as if many individuals, especially those who are my age, show a lack of care for taking part in politics. Especially during the past election season, many students did not vote simply because they "did not care" to or "have the time" to vote; however, those who I spoke to were first to complain about why they did not like a particular candidate. Simply put, if you did not vote, do not complain. Countries ruled under a dictatorship, or some other extremist authoritarian government, wish they had the right to a fair election process.
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| Image retrieved from The Butler Collegian. |
2. You have the right to practice any religion
Imagine living in a nation where you could be killed or jailed for your religious beliefs. Imagine being confined to a certain set of beliefs. According to a 2016 report on international religious freedoms in China, the People's Republic of China's constitution states that citizens have "freedom of religious belief but limits protections for religious practice to 'normal religious activities.'" Only religious groups belonging to either Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Catholic, or Protestant, are permitted to hold worship services. So before you make the argument that our current government system is entirely flawed, take a better look at countries who do not have religious freedom.
 |
| Image above represents the level of government restrictions on religion, which shows trends of higher government intolerance of religion in Asian countries. Image retrieved from the Huffington Post. |
As compared to countries that are not ruled under a democracy, especially places like North Korea, individuals are censored on what they can and cannot say. Individuals who choose to speak negatively about his or her government, face the possibly of death, or possibly, jail. Contrastingly, even though there are repercussions to one's words or actions, the U.S. government cannot infringe upon one's freedom of speech (which in my opinion is one of the most important, if not the most, of the ten amendments).
4. We have the right to keep and bear arms (aka we can own guns)
Although personally, I would not ever buy a gun (partly because they scare me), American citizens have the right to keep and bear arms. People should be able to protect themselves, without the government being able to take that right away. Aside from personal protection, our right to keep and bear arms prevents the government from taking away our rights, because we can exercise our right to resist. Yes, the multiple school shootings that have occurred over the past several years are horrible, but stricter gun laws would not prevent more from happening. Criminals will still find a way to obtain guns. But, just because criminals are improperly using guns, it does not mean law-abiding American citizens should have his or her right to keep and bear arms revoked. We the people have the right to protect ourselves.
5. We are free to gather and participate in a protest
Similarly to our ability to say (or write) anything we want, we have the ability to speak and protest on issues that matter to us, regardless of who may agree or disagree. Individuals who live under a dictatorship face the inevitable possibility of being executed if they protest against their government, which as stated, is a complete juxtaposition to what American citizens face. Whether it is protesting on the basis of gun control, the pro-choice movement, or contrastingly, the pro-life movement, the government cannot infringe on our right for peaceful protest.
 |
| Image from a past March for Life protest, otherwise known as the largest anti-abortion rally. Image retrieved from CNN. |
...saying I am proud to be an American would be an understatement. Name a better country, I will wait.
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