The Reason for Freedom of Religion - 2238 Words

Religious influence in the adoption and development of law is contradictory to the structure of the American government and way of life. We are all familiar with the phrase; â€Å"My fellow Americans†, these are words we probably have heard many times before, Presidents have uttered them in addressing the nation, they always have the same connotation every time they are spoken, that all of us are Americans, notice please that the statement is not My fellow Christians. That’s because being an American does not automatically indicate being a Christian, one of the reasons this is such a great country is that we have specific rights guaranteed by our government, such as the right to free speech, the right to bear arms, freedom of the press and as†¦show more content†¦I suggest that it is not only possible but highly probable that these laws which are basic common sense and much archeological evidence points to have existing in practice if not in some sort of writte n form as â€Å"guidelines† for the earliest of human settlements were influential upon the writers of The Bible not the inverse. Christianity while it is representative of great ethical standards is a religion. A way of life, as such that it is an intricate part of the lives and world view of its believers, as do all religions, equally. Is it possible that the founders actually wanted their legacy to be a nation founded on one religious belief after establishing through forceful adherence to their ideals gain the ability to guarantee themselves and their children, certain civil rights including the right to express their individual religious beliefs, no matter how many of them a minority belief, without persecution for doing so by the government? In answer to this question I offer the first amendment which states: â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† Ratified on December 15th 17913 this clearly states that our government by their design shall make no law respecting the establishment or free exercise of religious views, If we were toShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Speech On Pray In Schools1066 Words   |  5 Pagespersuade. Specific Purpose and Significance: To persuade my audience to respect religions in schools. Central Idea: ATTENTION STEP I. Attention Getter: Do you have a choice in your religion? Should praying be in Schools? The 1st Amendment states, â€Å"Prohibits Congress from making any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibitingRead MoreThomas Jefferson Declaration Of Religion Essay785 Words   |  4 PagesThomas Jefferson (1743-1826) describes himself as the â€Å"author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the statute for religious freedom, and father of the University of Virginia.† (Collins 37). Jefferson is established in American history for his accomplishments and beliefs that have had a tremendous impact on the meaning and understanding of religion today. Known as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, one of the firstRead MoreReligious Acc ommodation For Public Schools Essay955 Words   |  4 PagesReligion Debate Papers â€Å"Freedom of religion includes both the right to manifest beliefs and practices and the right to be free from state coercion or constraint in matters of religion ().† One of the most controversial places in which freedom of religion manifests itself is the public school. In order to protect freedom of religion, it is important to make sense of how a school must treat religion so the school does not compromise its role within society. This paper will establish current rulingsRead MoreReligion Has Played An Important Role In The History Of1108 Words   |  5 Pages Religion has played an important role in the history of the United States and in creating the colonies of the New World in many ways. Religion was definitely one of the major reasons for the establishment of the colonies. The early colonists wanted the freedom to worship God as they seen as proper, and they were promised this freedom of worship. Most of these colonies were deeply rooted in their religious beli efs. Religion strongly influenced the social and political life of the colonial timesRead MoreSchool Prayer The Rise Of A Church State Or Freedom1278 Words   |  6 PagesSchool Prayer the Rise of a Church State or Freedom Religious freedom is one of the many freedoms our great nation has worked so hard to protect. During the early 1700’s many different states   made laws only allowing   people of certain religions or certain beliefs   able to hold a state office causing much contention and oppression. Thomas Jefferson tried to draft a bill that guaranteed all   citizens of any religion or no religion, legal equality in the state but his attempts failed. He stated â€Å"TheRead MoreReligious Accommodation For Public Schools1128 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Freedom of religion includes both the right to manifest beliefs and practices and the right to be free from state coercion or constraint in matters of religion ().† One of the most controversial places in which freedom of religion manifests itself is the public school. In order to protect freedom of religion, it is important to make sense of how a school must treat religion so the school does not compromise its role within socie ty. This paper will establish current rulings on religion in publicRead MoreThomas Jefferson And The Second President Of The United States1538 Words   |  7 Pagesour great nation. Jefferson throughout his life was known to keep his religious views to himself even once said â€Å"Say nothing of my religion. It is known to God and myself alone.† (Ragosta 7). Jefferson held this belief firm throughout his life and believed that religious freedom was a natural right. This paper will examine how Thomas Jefferson supported religious freedom, why he believed that no man should be forced by the government to believe in a God or taxed to support a specific church, and theRead MoreReligion Has Been A Major Force In The History Of The United1104 Words   |  5 PagesReligion has been a major force in the history of the United States and in settling the colonies of America in many ways. Religion was definitely one of the major reasons for the founding of the colonies. The early col onists wanted the freedom to worship God as they had seen as proper, and they were promised this freedom of worship. Most of these colonies were deeply rooted in their religious beliefs. Religion was a powerful influence on the social and political life of the colonial times inRead MoreSeptember 11: The Clash of Civilizations Essay1220 Words   |  5 Pagesmost important, religion† (Huntington 450). On Tuesday September 11, 2001 the unthinkable happened in America. The two World Trade Centers in New York City, along with the Pentagon in Washington D.C., were struck by airplanes that were hijacked by terrorists. This terrible tragedy killing thousands of people had a deep impact on the whole nation. Many are confused as to why the United States of America were targeted instead of any of the other countries in the world. The main reason for the TalibanRead MoreThe Freedom Of The Press1124 Words   |  5 Pagesamendments, the first amendment is often looked at as one of the m ost important, protecting the right to practice religion, to assemble, to petition the government, and the freedom of the press. The protection of these rights is essential to help maintain the United States a free and democratic country. I believe the most important rights are the right to practice religion and the freedom of the press. As I will explain in my essay, these two rights are paramount to the success of a democratic country

Hist 101 - 2296 Words

HIST101 American History to 1877 A Man of Honor George Washington was the first president of the United States and is known as â€Å"the Father of Our Country. He was a man with much conviction, humility, and integrity. George Washington trusted in God, was willing to sacrifice much, and he was selfless. All of these qualities were important to his success as a military leader and as the leader of the nation. It is apparent by how revered Washington is today that he was a man of honor. George Washington begin life in Virginia in 1732. He was the son of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington. The tale of him cutting down the cherry tree, is just a tale created by author Mason Locke Weems. Weems wanted Washingtons life to appear†¦show more content†¦He divided the land into five separate farms. An overseer was appointed over each section which was a more efficient way for Washington to control his lands. As a landowner he felt the sting from the British taxes. The landowners were forced to pay high t axes to offset the debt from the French and Indian War. A war that was not only fought in America, but also in Europe. While living as a civilian at Mount Vernon, Washington served in the House of Burgesses. This was the first representation of government in America. Washingtons reputation had preceded him. He was well-known for the duties that he carried out during the war. While a representative in Virginias House of Burgesses he pressed Britain for fair treatment of the colonies. George Washington was an imposing figure at just over six feet tall. His stature commanded respect. Due to his serious demeanor, he rarely laughed unless caught off guard. He had to learn to control his anger. He would often let his frustration show on paper when writing to his friends, but kept his composure in public. He was elected as a delegate to the First Continental Congress and the Second Continental Congress. The First Continental Congress did not seek independence, instead it convened to protest the Intolerable Acts. Congress swore to cut off trade with Britain unless the Acts were revoked. The Intolerable Acts were laws thatShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Proposal To Create A Single Degree772 Words   |  4 Pages(for both majors) 16 credits HIST/PLSC 101 (1 credit) HIST 117 or 118 (3 credits) HIST 204 or 205 (3 credits) PLSC 104 (3 credits) HIST/PLSC 277 (0 credit) HIST 390 or PLSC 390 (3 credits)—Or a combined course PLSC 456 or 457 (3 credits) History (BA) 27 credits Political Science (BA/BS) 27 credits HIST 117/118 (not taken above) PLSC 115 HIST 204/205 (not taken above) PLSC 225 or 230 HIST 404 (online or RELH 400) PLSC 230 HIST 480 PLSC 410 HIST 488 BHSC 230 12 creditsRead MoreThe Expectations Of Morality And Actions972 Words   |  4 PagesConnor McAdoo HIST-111-B Olin 22 April 2017 Word Count: 918 Ordinary Men Essay As a society, we have certain expectations concerning morality and actions. When an individual’s behavior coincides with our societies’ expectations then they are deemed as ordinary because they are not an outlier. Though when the situation changes for individuals so do their actions and after an amount of time their new actions and behaviors become the norm. Even when the behavior fundamentally conflicts with theirRead MoreEssay on Abelard and Heloise836 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Jeff HIST 101 11/11/13 Gender As Seen in Abelard and Heloise The gender views of European medieval society were largely built upon the views of Aristotle and others alike that degraded the status of women into a lower form of life, characterizing them as secondary to men. Many successive Christian intellects such as St. Augustine also contributed to establishing the idea of misogyny in the medieval views toward the female sexuality, which helped to create the gender stereotype that severelyRead MoreAdvancements in Medicine During Wwi1012 Words   |  5 PagesENG/101 The First World War originated in new and huge problems for both military authorities and military health service. (Marc, B., 2002, Paragraph 1) There were many advances in medicine and surgery during World War One because of the many individuals that were injured. Hospitals were developed, medicines were created, surgical procedures, and even the ambulance all were developed during World War One. ThereRead MoreIndustrial Capitalism And The Economic System1433 Words   |  6 Pages Panic of 1873 HIST 101 Industrial capitalism is defined when the economic system is based on trading products and operations for profit. This allowed people to have their private property, wage labor, a price system and created competitive markets. Behind the Panic of 1873, the American society was heavily relied on mercantile capitalism. Mercantile capitalism is the earliest capitalism to be ever created in the development of capitalism as an economic system. Mercantile capitalism is heavily dependentRead MoreAnalysis Of The Documentary The Plague 1558 Words   |  7 PagesKishan Desai HIST 101-001 Winter 2017 The Plague The Plague Documentary Review The documentary focused on the black plague. The plague was a deadly bacterial disease which devastated Middle Age society. The documentary showed how the disease originated, how it spread, and the effects of it on society then and after. The plague started in the east with the Mongols and moved to west through trade with the Europeans. It then spread through fleas on rats on merchant ships in Europe. The disease hadRead MoreThe Battle Of The Somme And Waterloo1488 Words   |  6 PagesSarah Cooper HIST 101-001 830538724 In â€Å"The Face of Battle,† John Keegan analyzed the experiences of the individuals involved in the battles of the Somme and Waterloo; he thoroughly examined the advancements of industrialization in warfare and battle strategy between 1815 and 1916. The industrialization of modern warfare during the battle of the Somme, while progressive, was very much still in its experimental stages. While the inventions during this time period were later evolved into much moreRead MoreEssay on Death Before, During, and After War1397 Words   |  6 Pagesand Reparation: An Essay in Psychoaesthetics Angela Moorjani MLN , Vol. 101, No. 5, Comparative Literature (Dec., 1986), pp. 1110-1134 Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press Lauter, Estella, and Dominique Rozenberg. The Transformation Of The Mother In The Work Of Kà ¤the Kollwitz. Anima 5.2 (1979): 83-98. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. Web. 4 Nov. 2011. R Schulte â€Å"Kathe Kollwitzs Sacrifice† Hist Workshop J (SPRING) 1996(41): 193-221 doi:10.1093/hwj/1996.41.193 YatesRead MoreMartin Luther s Life Changing Life1604 Words   |  7 PagesMartin Luther Kjerstine Martin HIST 101-04F May 1, 2016 Thu-ba-lump. A single horse’s hooves hit against the dirt as he runs down the road. Thu-ba-lump. Thunder claps overhead. Thu-ba-lump. Lightning pierces the ground, startling the horse and throwing the rider from it. On his knees, frightened for his life, he calls out into the storm, â€Å"Help me, St. Anne! I will become a monk! (Christian History Magazine Staff, 2000)† While no one knows exactly what happened on this day, it was quiteRead MoreFast Food Nation : The Dark Side Of The All American Meal1682 Words   |  7 PagesKaushal Brahmbhatt HIST 173 Recent US History December 10, 2015 The â€Å"Drive Thru† Consumerism Of The 1950’s In Eric Schlosser’s 2001 piece, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, he examines the rise of the fast food industry in the 1950’s as it was associated with the rampant consumerism of the era and shows how this led to the fast food industry becoming one of the most unethical, manipulative, and greedy industries that ever existed. Schlosser shows how fast food corporations

The American Indian free essay sample

The American Indian: 1609 to 1865 BY KeelY1124 The Effects of the Removal on American Indian Tribes: Resistance and Removal The utmost good faith shall always be observed toward the Indians, their lands and property shall never be taken from them without their consent, and in their property, rights, liberty, they shall never be invaded or disturbed, unless in Just and lawful wars authorized by Congress. Northwest Ordinance, 13 July 1787 From the time, the first colonies were settled in America, relations between the Native American Indians and white settlers ranged from respectful friends to hated enemies. In the 1800s, Americans admired the Indians and valued their contributions to American history and culture. These people hoped that with time the Indians could be peaceably assimilated to American society. Even the Revolution, churches and religious organizations sent missionaries among the Indians to try to convert them to Christianity. In 1787, the Society for Propagating the Gospel among Indians was founded for that purpose. The federal government Joined the effort to civilize native Americans that had first been undertaken by the colonies and the churches. In 1793, Congress designated $20,000, a substantial sum for the time, to provide literacy, farming, and vocational assistance to the Native Americans. The Native American or American Indians once occupied the entire entire region of the United States. They were composed of many different groups, who spoke hundreds of languages and dialects. The Indians from the Southwest used to live in large built terraced communities and their way of sustain was from the agriculture where they planted squash, pumpkins, beans and corn crops. Trades between neighboring tribes were common, this brought in additional goods and some raw materials such as gems, ooper, seashells and soapstone. The United States recognized Indiana tribes as separate nations of people entitled to their own lands that could only be obtained from them through treaties. Due to inexorable pressures of expansion, settlement, and commerce, however, treaties and frequently reacted with violence when land promised to them forever was taken away. For the most part, however, they directed their energies toward maintaining their tribal identity while living in the new order. By 1830, most of the territories east of the Mississippi River had become states. The Democratic Party, led by President Andrew Jackson, was committed to economic progress in the states and to settlement and development of the western frontier. These goals put the government in conflict with the more than 125,000 Native Americans who still lived east of the Mississippi. By this time, many Indians had given up nomadic hunting and had adopted a more settled way of life. In particular, the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Seminoles tried to live in harmony with their white neighbors who called them the Five Civilized Tribes. The real conflict etween the government and the Indians was the land held by the Indians through legal treaties. White pioneers, frustrated by the lack of opportunity in the settled areas, pushed hard for new lands to purchase and farm, while states containing Indian territories resented the existence of lands within their borders over which recognized the Cherokees right to a substantial portion of northeastern Georgia. The Cherokees were very successful at adapting to a new way of life, farming the land, raising cattle, growing cotton, and even owning slaves to work their plantations. Missionaries established schools and helped the Cherokees in their new lives. One Cherokee, Sequoyah, devised the Cherokee syllabic alphabet of 85 characters so that his people could write down and preserve their thoughts. With a written language, the Cherokee were able to publish their own newspaper, The Cherokee Phoenix. The Cherokees established their own governing body called the Cherokee National Council. In 1808, the Cherokee National Council developed a legal system, and in 1827 wrote a constitution enacting a system of tribal government to regulate affairs within the borders of their lands. Their government included an electoral system and a legislative, Judicial, and executive branch. One tenet of the constitution was that on their own lands the Cherokee were not subject to the laws of Georgia. Treaties with the U. S. government recognized the Cherokee Nation, but the State of Georgia objected to having an independent Indian nation within its boundaries. Believing that the laws of Georgia should be sovereign throughout their state, Georgians passed legislation claiming Jurisdiction over the Cherokee Nation in 1828. These political actions coincided with increasing economic pressures to open this area to hite settlement and development. The Cherokee land was coveted for agricultural production at a time when the population of the state was increasing and demand for farmland was high. In addition, gold was discovered in the region and many whites were eager to mine it. The first Indian-White encounter was very peaceful and trade was their principal interaction. Tension and disputes were sometimes resolved by force but more often by negotiation or treaties. On the other hand, the Natives were described as strong and very innocent creatures waiting for the first opportunity to be Christianized. The settlers called the Indians the Noble Savages because they were cooperative people but sometimes, after having a few conflicts with them, they seem to behaved like animals. The Cherokees established their own governing body called the Cherokee National Council. In 1808, the Cherokee National Council developed a legal system, and in 1827 wrote a constitution enacting a system of tribal government to regulate affairs within the borders of their lands. Their government included an electoral system and a legislative, Judicial, and executive branch. One tenet of the constitution was that on their own lands the Cherokee were ot subject to the laws of Georgia. Treaties with the U. S. government recognized the Cherokee Nation, but the State of Georgia objected to having an independent Indian nation within its boundaries. Believing that the laws of Georgia should be sovereign throughout their state, Georgians passed legislation claiming Jurisdiction over the Cherokee Nation in 1828. We should apprehend that the encounter with the settlers really amazed the natives, they were only used to interact with people from their own race and surroundings and all of this was like a new discovery for them as well as for the white immigrants. These political actions coincided with increasing economic pressures to open this area to white settlement and development. The Cherokee land was coveted for agricultural production at a time when the population of the state was increasing and demand for farmland was high. In addition, gold was discovered English and the Virginia Indians was somewhat strong in a few ways. They were having marriages among them. For example, when Pocahontas married John Rolfe, many said it has a political implication to unite more settlers with the Indians to have a better relation between both groups. As for the Indians, their attitude was always riendly and full of curiosity when they saw the strange and light-skinned creatures from beyond the ocean. The colonists only survived with the help of the Indians when they first settler in Jamestown and Plymouth. In this area, the Indians showed the colonists how to cultivate crops and gather seafood. The Indians changed their attitude from welcome to hostility when the strangers increased and encroached more and more on hunting and planting in the Natives grounds. For several years the Indians gave the Virginia colonists little trouble because they came to the area of settlement not often. An imaginary line was the result from an agreement that meant that whites were prohibited from setting to the West of the Fall Line. This attempt failed as the white population from Virginia grew. The Indian lands were taken up and in the 1670s; the Natives were furious and killed several hundred whites. By 1669, most of the Virginia Indians had been decimated and driven off from their lands. The colonists did not remember by the first time that the Indians provided food supplies that sustained some of the first settlements through their Starving Times. Even though, the Native Americans were doomed in their struggles gainst the white settlers. In the end, the superiority of the U. S. government, the large number of settlers, and the destruction of the natural environment upon which the Natives depended for their survival overwhelmed the American Indians. In the face of mounting opposition to federal protection for autonomous Indian nations in Georgia and other states†oppositio n that threatened to become violent†president Jackson decided to move the Indians to lands west of the Mississippi River. He felt this offered the best hope to preserve peace and protect the Indians from being scattered and destroyed. Opening new land to white settlement would also increase economic progress. Jackson insisted that the Indians receive a fair price for their lands and that the government pay all expenses of resettlement. In 1830 at the request of Jackson, a bill went before Congress authorizing moving the Indians across the Mississippi. Daniel Webster and Henry Clay opposed the Indian Removal Bill, but its most bitterly outspoken opponent was Daw Crockett. Having served in the army under Jackson, Crockett was a Jacksonian Democrat until he and the president parted ways over treatment of the Indians. In the next Tennessee congressional election, the Democrats threw their support to another candidate, and Crockett was defeated. Disgusted with partisanship, Crockett left the arena of national politics and went to Texas, delivering, as was the custom, a resounding rendition of his farewell speech at every stop along the way. Within a year, he perished defending the Alamo. Little recognition was given to the fact that the Indians of the east were not familiar with how to subsist in the harsh conditions of the Great Plains or that the remuneration they received for their lands would benefit them little there. In addition, many tribes harbored ancient hostilities for other tribes. The Indian Removal Act made little provision for separation of groups. Once in the territory, In the fall of 1838, the U. S. government, now under Van Buren, ordered the forcible removal of the Cherokees from Georgia to the Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. Of the 18,000 that began the 1,000-mile, 116-day trek, 4,000 perished on the way of illness, cold, starvation, and exhaustion. The U. S. Army oversaw the march and forced a continuous pace at rifle and bayonet point disregarding the terrible hardship of the travelers. For this reason, the Journey is known as the Trail of Tears. Some historians partially blame the Cherokee leaders for failing to prepare to leave during the time they were given. Regardless of who was responsible, however, the circumstances of suffering and death remain a tragic chapter in American history. In all, between 1831 and 1839 about 46,000 Indian people were relocated across the Mississippi River. Many Indian tribes, approximately 15,000 people, were forced to walk hundreds of miles, barefoot in the middle of the winter, without proper clothing, and not enough horses and food. They traveled to unrecognized territories in what are now Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas. Because of this, many of them suffered physical as well as psychological problems, in result of the struggles faced for years that took the government to carry out the Indian removal policy. Some Indians refused to leave their ancestral lands and fought to prevent their expulsion but were banned any ways. Nevertheless, many Indian groups, already surrounded by white settlements, accepted the government decree and moved west. The Choctaws of Mississippi made the trek from 1831 through 1833, and the Creeks of Alabama in 1836. Only nominally voluntary, these migrations often turned into forced marches during which many perished. The Choctaws lost one-fourth of their people before arriving in Oklahoma, while the Creeks lost 3,500 of the 15,000 who began the journey. They were furious by the disappointment that the U. S. government gave them the lands that contain poor soil, was isolated and suffered from extreme climates, these lands were called Reservations. This lead to several wars that steamed from the refusal of some Native Americans to accept their resettlement and the effort of the Sauk and the Fox to return to their homeland in the early 1832, the esult of this was the Black Hawk War in Illinois and Wisconsin, where most of the remaining Native Americans were killed as they tried to cross the Mississippi River into Iowa. Sometimes, we think that the American Indians were fond of the new settlements on their lands but as we can see, they got tired of always being used by the whites for their own benefits and that they were exploiting the Indians as much as possible. The Natives got tired of always being treated like animals, and soon became enemies of the new settlers. The Sac (Sauk), and Fox tribes of Illinois and Wisconsin were also affected by the Indian Removal Act. One Sac chief signed a treaty abandoning Indian lands east of the Mississippi, and he moved the tribes to Iowa. Chief Black Hawk, however, along with a faction from the tribes, revolted against forced removal from the land of their ancestors. In 1832, they returned to their Illinois lands and conducted a campaign of raids and ambushes. The United States Army responded and violently suppressed what the government considered an Indian insurrection. Black Hawk was captured and imprisoned in St. Louis in 1833. Among the regular army troops involved in this action was Lieutenant Jefferson Davis Thirty years later these two men would head the Confederate and Union governments during the Civil War. The newspaper article Seeking Land for Tribe of Girl Who Helped Lewis and Clark written by Timothy Egan and published on October 26 of 1999 by the New York Times, really caught my attention because after the Shoshone Sacagawea lead Lewis and Clark to one of the most encounters in the discovery of new trails over the continental division, the U. S. government took away the place that they have called home for hundreds of years. In 1851, the United States government began to introduce a Concentration Policy. This strategy would provide white settlers with the most productive lands and relocate Indians to areas north and south of white settlements. Over the next decade, Indians were evicted from their land to make way for a white society. However, the settlers were not satisfied with the Concentration Policy, and they sought to restrict Indians to even smaller areas through relocation. For example, the Sioux tribe, which had previously spread across the northern United States, was relocated to an area in Dakota Territory known as the Black Hills. Present-day Oklahoma became known as Indian Territory as additional tribes were relocated to reservations there. The federal government relocated hundreds of thousands of Indians under the guise of protecting them, when in truth the governments primary goal was attaining the Indians lands. Although some battles against Indians were brutal on both sides, other conflicts were nothing but displays of dominance by U. S. troops. One such battle was the Sand Creek Massacre, which occurred in Colorado in 1864. At that time, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes inhabited the Sand Creek region after being forcibly relocated there due to the gold rush in 1861. Miners overtook their area and pushed the tribes into a desolate locale. The approximately 400 Indians living in this area believed they had been granted immunity and protective custody by the United States government when Colonel J. M. Chivingtons troops arrived. Chivington ordered his troops to slaughter the Indian men, women, and children to flaunt their dominance over the natives. Stan Davis, the Mayor of a Rocky Mountain Valley called Salmon in Idaho, stated that We all believe that Sacagawea is not the most famous Indian, but also the most famous woman in America. ln 1875, president Ulysses S. Grant gave a small reservation to the Shoshone tribe because he was impressed by the Lemhis unique role that they have in Western history and record of cooperation with the American settlers when in the summer of the same year, the Americans were running low on food, without fresh horses and had little idea about how to find the waters that drained to the Pacific. These people have been banned from their land and they are now consider orphans in an arid land because they dont have an specific place to point out where they originally come from. The Lemhi Shoshone, had asked resident Bill Clinton to please carve out a small piece of Federal land in a section of the Salmon River county on the Idaho-Montana border so it can become a place where the Shoshone tribe can tell its story to the hordes of Lewis and Clark history buffs, honor their dead and try to stitch some of their past history to the present. If I think that the United States should pay better respect to the generosity and friendship of not only Sacagawea, but also to her people. The government should give the Shoshone tribe a good portion of land to thank them for all they did to help Lewis and Clark in their Journey. On December 3 of 1999, I visited the National Museum of the American Indian. This Museum presents a new perspective of the Native American people and cultures through innovate exhibitions that emphasized the great importance of Native voices in the interpretation of Native history and their cultural achievements. Through the Museum, we can learn what Native Americans have to teach us about such things as the delicate balance between our people and nature, about their profound respect for family and their ethic of sharing and about their deep and spiritual magnificent art. This Museum changes forever the erspective of the way the American Indians lived in this Hemisphere, to correct the many misconceptions, to end the prejudice, to stop the injustice and to demonstrate how the Indian culture has enriched the world. One of the exhibits that I really liked was called Creations Journey: Master Works of The American Identity And Belief. This reflects the diversity, aesthetic quality, and cultural significance of the vast collections of the National Museum of the American Indian. These objects have the expressions of their everyday life and their spiritually is reflected in these works of ine art.

Marijuana Should be Legal

Introduction Of all the illegal drugs in existence, Cannabis Sativa (most popularly known as marijuana) is the most commonly used substance (Pedersen 395). The World Health Organization documents that2.5% of the world’s population indulge in the usage of this drug therefore making it the most popular psychoactive substance.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marijuana Should be Legal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite this apparent popularity of the drug, it remains illegal in many countries including the USA. Recent scientific researches have revealed that the effect of marijuana on a person’s health may not be as potent as previously thought. With this revelations and the increased use of the drug among the population, there have been calls for the government to consider legalizing this popular recreational drug. Calls for legalizing marijuana have been countered by vocal opposition from people advocating for the drug to be kept illegal since it has many negative effects. This paper will set out to argue that the government should legalize marijuana since the negative effects of this substance are not as dire and legalization would result in many benefits for the society. The paper will rely on research to reinforce this claim. Why Marijuana should be Legalized Marijuana is a favored recreational drug which means that its commercial significance is high due to the high demand for the product. Under the current situation where the drug is deemed illicit, the government cannot benefit monetarily from commerce in this drug. This is an important consideration since data on the prevalence of Marijuana indicates that the US is still the world’s largest single market for the drug (Yacoubian 25). The government could gain a lot of revenue if the drug was made legal and taxes imposed on it. As it currently stands, the sale of the drug only benefits players in the black mark et who produce and sell the product. These players are mostly criminals who have become very powerful from the money obtained from commerce in marijuana. Houston who is an outspoken advocate for the legalization of Marijuana confirms that marijuana is the cash cow that has made the Mexican drug cartels such a formidable force. By making the drug legal, the government would benefit from revenues obtained from its sale as well as remove the monopoly held by the criminal gangs thus making the country safer. The government uses significant amounts of resources in enforcing its laws against marijuana. Maintaining the status quo of marijuana as an illegal substance is an expensive operation and the financial burden is borne by the tax payer.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Yacoubian documents that the US government spends billions of dollars annually to enforce prohibition efforts on marij uana (30). This money that would otherwise have been spent on more socially constructive purposes is currently being used to fund operations ranging from the carrying out of drug raids, arrests and prosecution of drug offenders. The expenses don’t end there as more money is needed to maintain the convicted offenders in the country’s already overstrained penitentiaries. Making marijuana legal would mean that the government saves all the money that it currently spends in enforcing the law against marijuana. This would be a prudent step since as it is; the efforts by the government while prohibitively high do not appear to have significantly reduced marijuana consumption in the country. An obvious merit of the legal industry is that it is bound by government control which ensures that the products sold are safe for the consumer. The government can also monitor the production process and issue guidelines to make sure the consumer is not exposed to unnecessary risks. Since marijuana is illegal, its production and distribution is unregulated which means that the quality of the product is unguaranteed. Part of the contamination also comes from the pesticides used on the plant. In legal crops, there are strict government controls on pesticides which minimize the risks to the individual. McLaren et al. reveal that since marijuana is an illegal drug, there are no guidelines or controls for its cultivation and it is not known whether the pesticides used are safe to humans (1106). In addition to this, the illegal status of marijuana means that most of it is grown indoors to reduce the risk of discovery by law enforcement. Indoor-grown marijuana is perceived to be more contaminated than marijuana grown naturally since indoor cultivation involves use of additives to maximize yield (McLaren et al. 1106). Legalization of marijuana would give the government greater control on the product which would make it safer for the user. Currently, the market is unregulated and dealers are constantly increasing the potency of the drug so as to attract more customers. The potency of marijuana is changed by altering the major active chemical in marijuana, THC, which is the component that causes the mind-altering effects of marijuana intoxication. McLaren et al. attribute the increase potency to the popularity of indoor cultivation which involves practice of cloning from a variety of cannabis with high THC content (1105). The more potent marijuana is the higher the increases of cannabis-related harms such as psychotic and anxiety effects. Legalizing the drug would make it possible for the government to monitor the content of the drug just as alcohol content in beverages is monitored. This would reduce the health risks that result from high potent marijuana.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marijuana Should be Legal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Marijuana has scientifically proven m edical benefits for its consumers. Marijuana has been documented to improve symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis. The efficacy of marijuana in this area has been so great such that pharmaceutical companies have begun using Sativex, a derivative of cannabis, in the care of people with multiple sclerosis (Green and De-Vries 2458). Clinical trial research on the therapeutic role of marijuana in pain management have shown that the drug demonstrated significant pain relief and induce relaxation hence relieving anxiety and depression (Green and De-Vries 2457). These findings are corroborated by reports by the WHO which indicate that cannabinoids alleviate symptoms such as nausea and vomiting in chronically ill patients. Making marijuana legal would ensure that it is more readily available for the sick who would exploit it for its curative properties. Arguments Against Legalization Despite all the advantages that can be gained from legalizing marijuana, there are key negative effect s that opponents of legalizations point to. The most significant of these claims is that marijuana results in adverse physical and mental effects on the user. Yacoubian states that heavy marijuana use impairs a person’s ability to form memories and users who have taken high doses of the drug may experience acute psychosis (19). McLaren et al proceed to state that contaminated marijuana has the potential to cause lung disease and respiratory problems (1106). Considering this negative effects, proponents of legalization assert that it would be reckless for the government to even consider making marijuana legal. While it is true that marijuana can have negative effects, these extreme effects are mostly restricted to heavy users and those users who consume contaminated or high potency marijuana. A major concern by the public is the link between drug use and involvement in crime. Opponents of legalization state that marijuana would result in citizens, especially the youth, engagin g in criminal activities as a result of drug use. This stereotypical view is unfounded as research indicates that marijuana use does not play an important role in fostering a general involvement in crime. A study conducted by Pedersen and Skardhamar on the association between cannabis use and subsequent criminal charges on an individual suggested that marijuana was associated with subsequent criminal activity (116). However, the authors noted that the bulk of this involvement was in various types of drug-specific crime such as possession and distribution of the drug. Marijuana does not therefore result in general crime involvement and a considerable proportion of its users only get into the penal system because of use or possession of drugs.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A common argument raised by proponents of legalizing marijuana is that its legalization would results in a phenomenal increase in the number of users. This reasoning is based on the assumption that at the present, many people who would be users of marijuana are deterred because of the legal action such as jail time that they would suffer from if they consumed the product. Houston suggests that this argument is not based on facts since the rate of marijuana use in Netherlands (a country reputed for its relaxed laws on marijuana which permit purchase and consumption of regulated portions of the drug) is significantly lower than in the US where prohibitive laws against the drug are in place. Discussion and Conclusion Marijuana consumption is pervasive in the US and this drug has become the favorite recreational drug in spite of measures by the government to curb its supply and discourage its usage. This has resulted in the issue of whether to legitimize marijuana or not been heavily de bated in the country. From the arguments given in this paper, it is clear that many benefits will be reaped from the legalization of marijuana. These advantages include; increased access of the drug for people who require it for medical purposes, a regulated market which would make the product safer and the financial gains that the government would achieve through taxation and savings from the money that is currently used to enforce the law against marijuana. While proponents of legalization point to the adverse effects of the drug, this paper has shown that many research findings available today indicate that the negative effects of marijuana are mild and the drug has useful medicinal properties. This paper set out to argue that the government should legalize marijuana. To this end, the paper has engaged in discussions as to the merits and demerits of such a move. Overall, evidence suggests that making marijuana legal would benefit the society more than having it classified as an i llegal substance. Citizens who are keen on bringing about development should therefore petition the government to legalize the drug so that the society can enjoy the benefits stated at the same time avoiding the enormous costs incurred by efforts to keep the drug illegal. Works Cited Green, Anita and De-Vries Kay. â€Å"Cannabis use in palliative care – an examination of the evidence and the implications for nurses.† Journal of Clinical Nursing 19.1 (2010): 2454–2462. Print. Houston, Aaron. The case for a domestic marijuana industry. 17 Mar. 2009. Web. McLaren, Jennifer et al. â€Å"Cannabis potency and contamination: a review of the literature.† Addiction, 103 (2008): 1100–1109. Print. Pedersen, Willy and Skardhamar Torbjorn. â€Å"Cannabis and crime: findings from a longitudinal study.† Addiction 105.1 (2009): 109–118. Print. World Health Organization (WHO). Management of substance abuse: Cannabis. Jan. 2010. Web. Yacoubian, George. â€Å"Assessing the Relationship between Marijuana Availability and Marijuana Use: A Legal and Sociological Comparison between the United States and the Netherlands.† Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education 51. 4 (2007): 17-34. Print. This essay on Marijuana Should be Legal was written and submitted by user Analia Benton to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.