The congress

"The number of seats allocated to each state has changed over time, and state populations have risen as well. In areas with denser populations, it's easier to come up with creative ways to draw districts…. Some writers, notably John Sides at the Monkeycage and Seth Masket in the Pacific Standard, caution that there's more to the gerrymandering story than just compactness. Seth sums things up by noting that there are any number of factors by which districts can be assessed, including equal population size, absence of racial discrimination, compactness and contiguity of districts, preservation of county or municipal boundaries and preservation of communities of interest…

"Some of these goals run right up against each other," he writes. "While a compact district may be desirable, it doesn’t necessarily reflect how people live or what county and city boundaries look like." Or, as John succinctly puts it, "Representation is about people, not polygons."”

I totally agree with Christopher Ingraham who wrote this in his article “What 60 years of political gerrymandering looks like”. Having more representative in the congress would require more physical space and more confusion would exist on who holds what responsibilities.

It is not necessary to have more congress members because the main point is that the representatives do their job properly. It doesn’t matter if we have 2 representatives or 10 all that matters that citizens get their voices heard and proper action is taken. I just agree with the fact that we don’t need any more representatives all to need is two good leaders representing each state and doing their job properly. 

Equal Rights

"The existence of slavery in this country brands your republicanism as a sham, your humanity as a base pretense, and your Christianity as a lie. It destroys your moral power abroad: it corrupts your politicians at home. It saps the foundation of religion; it makes your name a hissing and a bye-word to a mocking earth. It is the antagonistic force in your government, the only thing that seriously disturbs and endangers your Union. it fetters your progress; it is the enemy of improvement; the deadly foe of education; it fosters pride; it breeds insolence; it promotes vice; it shelters crime; it is a curse to the earth that supports it; and yet you cling to it as if it were the sheet anchor of all your hopes. Oh! be warned! be warned! a horrible reptile is coiled up in your nation's bosom; the venomous creature is nursing at the tender breast of your youthful republic; for the love of God, tear away, and fling from you the hideous monster, and let the weight of twenty millions crush and destroy it forever!"

I totally agree with Frederick Douglass’s statement from his speech “History is a weapon; the meaning of July fourth for the Negro”. His prospective is very heart touching of how racism still exist within our society. Even with the law of equal rights, the society still not equal.

The title of the speech is “History is Weapon”, that is very true that the history of slavery scared people’s hearts especially the African American population. There is still racism in United State and it is very shameful that the equal rights law is not equal for all, all the time. Racism has decrease job opportunities even educational opportunities for many African American over years.

Civil Liberties

“The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. They are the standing army, and the militia, jailers, constables, posse comitatus,(7) etc. In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs. Yet such as these even are commonly esteemed good citizens. Others, as most legislators, politicians, lawyers, ministers, and office-holders, serve the state chiefly with their heads; and, as they rarely make any moral distinctions, they are as likely to serve the devil, without intending it, as God. A very few, as heroes, patriots, martyrs, reformers in the great sense, and men, serve the state with their consciences also, and so necessarily resist it for the most part; and they are commonly treated as enemies by it. A wise man will only be useful as a man, and will not submit to be "clay," and "stop a hole to keep the wind away,”

I believe that this passage by Henry David Thoreau in the article “Civil Disobedience” outlines his entire article about why Civil Disobedience is important in some cases. The thought of fighting for justice and freedom is the central idea of Civil Disobedience. I totally agree with Thoreau’s prospective that people who are working so hard for their country get treated like horses and dogs; they are constructed to work like machines. While most of the politicians have no experience on how hard reality is and they make laws that favor themselves.  

There are very few people in the system who tries to do the right things and tries to make proper laws that might favor every citizens but they rarely get approved. This is where protest and Civil Disobedience comes into play. The citizens have to speak up toward harsh law and make changes for all, especially the new generations. People have to earn their rights and fight for Civil Liberties.

 

 

 

 

Federalism

“let us come out into the light of day; let us enjoy the fresh air of Liberty and Union; let us cherish those hopes which Êbel¿ng to us; let us devote ourselves to those great objects that are fit for our consideration and action; let us raise our conceptions to the magnitude and the importance of the duties that devolve upon us; let our comprehension be as broad as the country for which we act, our aspirations as high as its certain destiny; let us not be pigmies in a case that calls for men. Never did there devolve on any generation of men higher trusts than now devolve upon us, for the preservation of this Constitution and the harmony and peace of all who are destined to live under it. Let us make our generation one of the strongest and brightest links in that golden chain which is destined, I fondly believe, to grapple the people of all the States to this Constitution for ages to come”

I believe that this passage from Daniel Webster, "The Seventh of March Speech" summarizes the entire speech regarding how he feels about the American way of governing. According to Webster’s speech, he believes that peace can be made with American government system where laws are made by the constitution can positively make ever citizen’s life better. The constitution is strong and has to get stronger and there also has to be more justices and fair laws for all citizens in America.  

I strongly agree with Webster’s speech. Some of the constitution law favors low percent of people, which should be changed. Some laws don’t protect enough citizens that need upgrade. Yes, the constitution is a wonderful way of government but is not strong. Laws needs fixing and alterations to new the new generations, so new leaders can run the system and make the constitution stronger, and give every citizens equal rights and freedom.