By: Miranda Cavada
OwlFeed Journalist
We’ve been taught throughout our lives that the U.S. is the perfect example of a democratic republic done right. It represented the first basic foundation of a free and just government in the world, after all. No other country before it held the ideals we know and love to this day.
Other countries looked to the U.S.’s government after their independence from Britain as an example for their own, as they emphasized the right to three unalienable human rights: life, liberty, and property. This allowed people to live freely while simultaneously being protected by their government. The question, however, that has been bouncing around the heads of skeptics arises: should we trust who we’re being governed by, and if so, to what extent?
First of all, let’s establish that I’m not a conspiracy theorist. I’m not saying the government is some evil mastermind that’s out to get us, nor do I fear that we will become governed by a tyranny. Take some of these bogus theories like faking the moon landing and I could debunk them with facts. 9/11 was most likely not an inside job, and don’t get me started with flat-earthers.
On the other hand, I also don’t completely trust what we’re being told in our everyday lives. Think of Area 51 and everything else the government is hiding from us. The President and Republican majority in Congress are also able to make decisions that only prove helpful to people like them and that disregard those who truly need government assistance.
We’ve all heard of John Locke’s theory on government, how citizens have to give up a few of our freedoms to protect the safety and security of this country as a whole. Airport security was enforced after the 9/11 attacks, which invaded our privacy but was beneficial in preventing terrorist attacks. This is an example of the government doing its job right, but what about some of the times it hasn’t?
Slavery was once considered legal, since before the independence of our nation and even after that. The government finally came to its senses in 1865, when the Emancipation Proclamation abolished it under Lincoln’s presidency. It took hundreds of years before we as citizens opened our eyes to the cruel injustice our own country was following.
Women weren’t allowed to vote until 1920, and so was born first-wave feminism that rose to action throughout the 20th century. Without the involvement of “we the people,” minorities and women would have remained where they were and we as a nation would have been stuck only going backwards in terms of social justice, if our progress had been in the hands of corrupt leaders.
So from the words of mintpressnews.com, “Why should anyone trust a government that kills, maims, tortures, lies, spies, cheats, and treats its own citizens like criminals?” To that, I say that we were brainwashed to believe our government can do no wrong and always knows what’s best for us. It’s a common misconception, but by seeking the truth this will eventually lead to change.
Luckily, we seem to be heading in the right direction. According to people-press.org, “only 18% of Americans today can say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right” and that number is decreasing by the day. My advice for you would be to never stop asking questions, rebel peacefully, practice civil disobedience, and spark your curiosity if you want to make a difference in the world.