John BinghamCredit Library of Congress

AMENDMENT XIV

Passed by Congress June 13, 1866. Ratified July 9, 1868.

Article I

Section 2,

of the Constitution was modified by section 2 of the 14^th amendment.

     “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” (pg1)

      In this Clauses, the primary author of the first section of the 14^th amendment and also nationalized the Bill of Rights, was the congressman John A. Bingham of Ohio. Following the Civil War this amendments as part of the Reconstruction, it was to guarantee equal civil and legal rights to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, Especially for the black citizens and immigrants after acquiring the citizens, although the part of “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” won cover the parent of any born or naturalized person in the US.

    I chose this passage from the Constitution of the United States because this is what I consider true freedom. We are hearing very scary talk from the candidates running for president this Presidential election cycle that threaten a lot of people’s freedom here in the United States. For example the talk of deporting or blocking Muslims from this country is not only racist but most importantly unproductive; I say unproductive because I feel like this is fuel for Isis recruitment of young people to join such a terrorist group. This talk and mentality takes away what the 14^th amendment is intended to be; true freedom to citizens of religion, liberty and justice for all.

  

pg-1 http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html#13

"The Melting Pot"

Randolph Silliman Bourne (May 30, 1886 – December 22, 1918)

Trans-national America

                        "The Melting Pot"                                                                        by Randolph S. Bourne                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                             

     "THE failure of the melting- pot, far from closing the great American democratic experiment, means that it has only just begun. Whatever American nationalism turns out to be, we see already that it will have a color richer and more exciting than our ideal has hitherto encompassed. In a world which has dreamed of internationalism, we find that we have all unawares been building up the first international nation. The voices which have cried for a tight and jealous nationalism of the European pattern are failing. From that ideal, however valiantly and disinterestedly it has been set for us, time and tendency have moved us further and further away. What we have achieved has been rather a cosmopolitan federation of national colonies, of foreign cultures, from whom the sting of devastating competition has been removed. America is already the world-federation in miniature, the continent where for the first time in history has been achieved that miracle of hope, the peaceful living side by side, with character substantially preserved, of the most heterogeneous peoples under the sun. Nowhere else has such contiguity been anything but the breeder of misery. Here, notwithstanding our tragic failures of adjustment, the outlines are already too clear not to give us a new vision and a new orientation of the American mind in the world." (pg1)

    

       Randolph S. Bourne wrote this paragraph "the Melting Pot" within the article "Tran-National America", why I think he wrote this paragraph is because to me he sat back and studied what was happening within the United States in the early 1900s; off the heals of the "Race Riots" that happened between 1900 to 1910. He saw that the United States was changing from and all Anglo-Saxon majority. He sees the United States for what it was meant to be a land open to different people around the world. Unbeknownst to the American ideal the United States was becoming a country of the world, to me meaning having a good representation of every nation in the world. (pg2)

      I chose this passage from Mr. Bourne because no one could had written it better of what was happening in the United States back in 1916 when he wrote it, but more so 100 year after In 2016. We see no truer words in this passage than now having President Obama, an African American finishing his 2nd term as the United States President, I don't think anyone in 1916 would had predicted that or a women as a viable candidate for the Presidency of the US, or a Hispanic in the Supreme Court represented by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, these are some example of different races in high offices, but if we see around us, take into account the big cities in this country, NYC, NY, Chicago, IL, Miami, FL or Houston, TX we see how truly diverse the communities are. We see how truly of a melting pot the United States has become with communities represented by different countries around the world and all getting along. I really like this passage, and that's why I love the United States where to me you come here with a dream and it's actually possible to achieve it with hard work and dedication. You cannot say that of another country.

pg-1  http://www.theatlantic.com/past/issues/16jul/bourne.htm

pg-2 http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/uhic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?query=&prodId=UHIC&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&disableHighlighting=true&displayGroups=&sortBy=&zid=&search_within_results=&action=2&catId=&activityType=&documentId=GALE%7CCX2831200309&source=Bookmark&u=mlin_s_martha&jsid=f26d4a420f49a00c775c39e87eecb4b1

Americans Name Government as No. 1 U.S. Problem

by Justin McCarthy

http://www.gallup.com/poll/181946/americans-name-government-no-problem.aspx

    "Americans continue to name the government (18%) as the most important U.S. problem, a distinction it has had for the past four months. Americans' mentions of the economy as the top problem (11%) dropped this month, leaving it tied with jobs (10%) for second place".

   This paragraph speaks at volumes of how the American public sees our Government. At 18% naming the government as the most important problem and we can easily see why; with congress, parties, and branches of government not been able to agree or accomplish much.

   The Gallup‘s article “Americans Name Government as No.1 U.S. Problem”, should come as no surprise to any of us. Surely some can argue the numbers are even a little low, how we see congress acting, where they cannot agree on much. According to Wikipedia there have been 18 government shutdowns since 1976. Why more data you ask? So we can see the extent of it. Just today we see the bickering and the no-communication coming from the top 2 parties with the sad death or Justice Antonin Scalia’s sudden and unexpected death. Already the Republicans are talking about blocking anyone that President Obama nominates saying that with just little time for the next President to take office it should be there responsibility. On the other side of the aisle Democrats are arguing that is simply irresponsible to leave such an important seat vacant so long. I chose this paragraph because I would be one of the 18%.