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Assignment briefs about political parties should not be a means to divide Americans but should pose challenge to growth

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Civil Rights events 

Citizens have always engaged in demonstrations and movements so that their voices can be heard (Chong,2014). They will engage in all possible ways to attract the government towards their wishes and demands. Here, I will discuss two civil liberties events that have attracted the United States government and the solution made. Firstly, The Civil Rights Movement and The Second Reconstruction between 1945 and 1968. This period consisted of many civil rights movements coupled with progressive actions by the government to provide full political rights for African Americans. African Americans protested segregation where access to facilities such as hospitals, housing and schools was separated along racial lines. Though desegregation took place gradually, the people must have made an impact on the government as President Truman expanded on steps towards racial reconciliation and later in 1948, he led to desegregation of the military by signing the Executive Order 9981. His successors such as President Dwight Eisenhower also followed his footsteps, desegregating Washington. 

Though LGBT movements have existed since the 1920s, recent activities have shown that the government and community at large minds about their rights so that they can feel accepted in the community even though there are still conflicts on whether they have a right to live homosexual lives. This is shown in 2016 when President Barrack Obama announced the designation of the first monument to LGBT rights. This is the Stonewall National Monument which represents June 28, 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn in New York city as living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person was illegal during that time. This activity led to protests and demonstrations. Various events have taken place thereafter. One being lifting the ban on transgender people serving openly in America. This has led to more people being open and comfortable about their sexuality from an LGBT person being sworn in as a governor, to more openly LGBT people getting involved in Olympics. The community as a whole seems to accept living harmoniously among LGBT people, with the court ruling against discrimination of LGBT people in the workplace and residents in places such as District of Columbia can now choose a gender-neutral option of their driver’s license. 

Media events

The media has been the best way to expose the kind of government we trust. Some events positively influence the public’s opinion on the government, while others make the public question the leaders and what they believe in (Graber,2017). Ruby Ridge siege is one of the events that is greatly remembered for how it negatively affected the public opinion on the government. In 1922, the Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and US marshals engaged in a standoff with Randy Weaver’s family and a friend in their cabin which then led to the death of his wife, son and US Marshal William Degan. This event started when Weaver sold weapons to an informant of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). When he refused to become an ATF informant, a weapons charge was pursued against him by federal agents. Weaver failed to attend court and the court gave warrant for his arrest. The US Marshals assessed that the family would resist violently. The situation became violent when a US marshal shot Weaver’s dog. These led to exchange of fire between the family, Harris, and the US Marshal, leading to the death of Sammy, Randy’s son and William. The FBI also joined to assist the Marshals. This led to the shooting of Randy’s wife. This event has contributed greatly to belief among the people that federal law enforcement agencies are ruthless towards citizens. 

 In 2016, armed militants seized Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. They consisted of their leader Ammon Bundy and some members of the sovereign citizen movement. The militants’ goal was to tell the people that the United States Forest Service and other agencies are constitutionally required to turn over some of the lands they manage to individual states. The event began when they held a public rally nearby. By February 11, the militants had surrendered but one was shot dead during the occupation. The rest were arrested and charged. Although the authorities ensured peace to the residents, no actions by the law enforcement were seen during that day. This led to insecurity among residents and the authorities took longer to ensure security in the area. Although the government said that the militants were attempting to overthrow the government, the media provided proof that the militants had not planned to fight the authorities. 

Republican and Democratic Parties

The United states of America has been dominated by two political parties; the Democratic Party and Republican Party since the American civil war. The supporters of the two parties have different ideologies and beliefs of how America should be governed. The parties also have different views on what should be considered moral. One of the differences is on same sex marriage. Republicans do not believe on same sex marriage and that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. Democrats on the other hand believe in it and support that same sex couples have equal rights as heterosexual couples including the right to adopt children. This difference has brought conflict between the parties’ supporters, and has affected the LGBT community. This is shown recently when President Donald Trump, a republican, announced via twitter that he would not allow transgender people to serve in the US Military. This is unlike various efforts by democrats to ensure rights of LGBT people are maintained. This is an issue that would cause conflict among Americans, as LGBT people who had started feeling secure in the country will start losing their trust on the government. 

Another difference is on immigration. Republicans prefer stronger border controls and push for limits to immigration. They believe this would reduce terrorism risks and also benefit American workers (Noel, 2014). Democrats on the other hand prefer open immigration policies. They oppose Republicans and believe deportation is not the solution to terrorism and unemployment. This difference has affected Americans especially in 2017 after Donald Trump was elected president. There was a proposal by Republicans to ban Islam in the United States immediately after he became president. This would greatly affect American Muslims as they would be deprived of their right to worship. Although Democrats are against this proposal, Republicans support it and believe it will be a measure to prevent terrorism. The strictness on immigration would also affect America’s relationship with the rest of the world. 

Politics in the United States of America have existed since the early 1500s. Laws have been made and changed, Governments have had different ideologies and beliefs but still America has remained the greatest country in the world. This should prove to the people that what matters most is not the government but their own relationship with fellow citizens. As seen through various civil rights movements, unity of the people is what gets us what we want. Standing together and asking for what we want is what has liberated us and given us rights. Although we do not have similar beliefs, we should not fight people with different beliefs but instead make a solution that would prevent conflict. Law enforcement agencies were also once local citizens and should treat citizens the way they would have wanted to be treated. They should be humane in their tactics to avoid killing innocent people. Finally, political parties should not be a means to divide Americans but instead should pose challenge towards growth and development of a better America.  

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