Your Voice is Your Choice

                                 (Sohm, Joe, et al. Checks and Balances. 17 Nov. 2017.)

Expression is vital as a human being, but I believe it is our ability to educate one other and limit one’s power that is a crucial component of today’s society. We are all taught from a young age that those who are in leadership positions within the government have our best interests at heart. Yet, as we grow and learn, we know this is not always the truth. Even more so, each individual has different belief systems upon which they believe the human race should base itself upon. There will always be leaders within the government that each person agrees or disagrees with. We are a democracy, and because of this, we must have the ability to check the power of those in positions above the general public.

For instance, the upcoming election is the perfect time in which citizens can exercise their right to check governmental authorities. In Dino Christenson and Douglas Kriner’s article, “Public outrage derailed Trump’s plans to slow the mail. That’s what keeps presidents in check,” it is blatantly obvious that in regards to a president’s popularity “if their public erodes, that’s politically costly; it reduces their political capital and threatens their ability to wring concessions from Congress on other parts of their agenda.” Yes, being president comes with power, but so does being part of the public’s voice. The individuals of society make up the number of people that the president is a representative for. If the decisions being made by the president do not coincide with the moral values of the majority of the people, the president will immediately begin to lose support while in office.

                (IStock, and Smartboy10. Hands of Society. 5 Dec. 2019.)

Human life revolves around value, whether it is the value of life itself or the values that each life carries out. Society today is largely focusing on the “Black Lives Matter” movement, in which the public has used their power to create reform within the police force. For instance, Haley Byrd and Devan Cole depict the image in “Movement for Black Lives unveils sweeping police reform proposal” that the voices of protestors aided in the “House Democrats pass[ing] legislation that included provisions to overhaul ‘qualified immunity’ for law enforcement, prohibitions on racial profiling by law enforcement and a ban on no-knock warrants on federal drug cases.” Without large masses of movements such as “Black Lives Matter,” changes would not be encouraged or made. Hot topics like this thrive off of the loudness they create, because it gets the attention of those who sit in power. Those running the government want their country to appear as if they are the best. Knowing this, citizens take the opportunity to make noise and create unrest until leaders make the changes they have asked for. Once again, the power is placed into the hands of the people, because their support is what governmental leaders depend on.

Sources:

Byrd, Hayley, and Devan Cole. "Movement for Black Lives unveils sweeping police reform proposal." CNN Politics, 7 July 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/07/07/politics/movement-for-black-lives-police-reform-proposal/index.html. Accessed 22 Sept. 2020.

Christenson, Dino, and Douglas Kriner. "Public outrage derailed Trump's plans to slow the mail. That's what keeps presidents in check." The Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/25/public-outrage-derailed-trumps-plans-slow-mail-thats-what-keeps-presidents-check/. Accessed 22 Sept. 2020.

IStock, and Smartboy10. Hands of Society. 5 Dec. 2019.

Sohm, Joe, et al. Checks and Balances. 17 Nov. 2017.