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“WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STREGNTH” This was the party slogan for the political culture in George Orwell’s novel, 1984; a stark, depressing world where “Big Brother” is watching you at all times. The political culture of the Untied States, thankfully, is a much more democratic and freeing environment. “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness… ” is what we live by, not “Freedom is slavery. ” The political culture of the United States is made up of two main concepts: liberty and equality. These will be discussed in this paper.
United States; a country founded by people pursuing religious freedom from the monarchist world of Europe, however it would still be years before they had the opportunity to fight for their economic and political freedom as well. It wasn’t until after the war for independence that the fathers of this country had a chance to give us the liberties we have to today, in the constitution of the United States. Liberty is the principal that individuals should be free to act and think as they choose. In other words, it is freedom from “government interference”. As stated by the First Amendment of the U.
S. Constitution, “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”. In layman terms, the citizens of the United States will not have their religion, speech or press dictated to them; everyone has the right to practice whatever religion they choose, protest injustices without retribution, and can speak and write without the fear of punishment.
In America today liberty is a big debate, as a melting pot country and the sperateration of church and state. The immigration laws that have been put in place in the last few years have taken the liberties away from aliens in this country. The other side of the debate is they are not citezens therefore have no liberties. The seperation of church and state is an agurment that has been going on since the birth of this nation and proably will be forever. The laws made by the US governtment often conflict with our liberties today.
At the start of this nation, equality did not exist because of slavery and the fact that only white males could vote. With the abolishment of slavery in 1865 African Americans were given their freedom and in 1870 they were finally given the right to vote. However, women had to wait for this privilege until 1920 with the passing of the 19th Amendment. Even after being given the right to vote, African Americans were still not considered as equals. The lack of equals is how this country was founded, people being persecuted for their religion came over for freedom.
It is a problem that has been with this nation since the beginning and is still a problem today. After slavery was abolished African Americans still did not have many rights because of segregation. Women, although they were finally allowed to vote, were still not equal in the workplace and at home. In the past decade or so, women have begun to break the “glass-ceiling” but there are still occurrences of inequality for them too. It seems that, as a nation, we have always persecuted a race or group of people.
Before slaves and women we persecuted the Indians-we stole their land and moved them to reservations. Even in the Untied States today there are still many groups that don’t have rights. Homosexuals, for instance, are not allowed to marry in all but one state of this nation. Our nation is trying to become an equal place for everyone, but it takes time. This nation has made great strides in the past and will continue to make them in the future so that every one will be treated and viewed as equal.
The political climate that we enjoy today is much different from the political climate of our origins. The United States has come a long way from being under the rule of King George III. Although there are similar democracies around the world, the United States is unique in the way that we conduct politics. What other countries around the world regard liberty and equality as high as America? Our Declaration of Independence says it all “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. “