America can mean something different to everyone. There is no one aspect that can wholy and truly define the vast, varied nation. To some it simply represents home. To others it stands for freedom, refuge, or the land of opportunity. Still to others it is a great antagonizing force – a cou...

Clarence Earl Gideon was charged in a Florida state court with having broken and entered a poolroom with intent to commit a misdemeanor. Appearing in court without funds and without a lawyer, Gideon asked the Florida state court to appoint counsel for him, whereupon the following troubles took p...

In John Grisham's novel thriller, The Pelican Brief, Grisham combines both page turning action and popcorn reading to develop his overall theme in the book, which is tracking down the person who wants the author of the Pelican Brief dead. Thanks to his use of plot and various symbols, Grisham r...

Freedom has been a privilege we sometimes take for granted. It is so woven into our everyday lives that we often forget that we have it. Freedom of speech and press was debated in a case between Hazelwood East High School and a Journalism II class. In this case, the principal of Hazelwood East Hi...

With all of the problems in today's society, it is great to know that we have one great thing going for us. That would be the talented men and women of our government. The powerful president, senators, congressmen, governors, mayors, and other politicians work together to keep this country it&a...

Abington School District vs. Schempp Required School Prayer In 1949, a state-wide law was passed in Pennsylvania that required public school students to read scriptures from the Bible and recite the Lord's Prayer everyday in class. This law stayed intact until Edward Schempp challenged it n...

Rule of Law is a very important value to the United States. The Core Democratic Value of Rule of Law states that everyone, including government officials must follow and obey the law. This includes the President, Senators, normal citizens and other important officials. Rule of Law is on the minds of...

The Great Depression on October 29, 1929 took everyone by surprise. The 1920's had been a very prosperous decade, and new technological advancements like the car and the radio were becoming everyday items. There was a great conflicting attitude between the newer, more liberal cities, and the old con...

The Importance of Making Your Voice Heard by Voting People often choose not to vote because they feel their vote does not count, but one vote does count in many ways. Your choice to vote or not, will have far reaching consequences on people all over the world, many of whom do not have the right ...

After the tragedy on September eleventh something called the Patriots Act was passed. This Act allows the FBI s to infringe on our personal liberties as Americans. It mainly takes away our rights that the 1st and 4th amendment gives us. I personally think that it infringes on our fourth amendment mo...

In 1896 the Supreme Court had held in Plessy v. Ferguson that segregation was allowed as long as equal facilities were provided for both races. Although that decision was made for passenger on railroads, the principle of "separate but equal" was applied thereafter to all aspects of public life. Wh...

Our nation is currently suffering from social, economical, as well as political injustice and its greatly impacting Americans of every social class. From the lower to the upper class and from the white to the blacks, we are all greatly affected by it. Many people can agree that injustice is unfair a...

The Constitution was written in 1787 by the founding fathers of the United States. The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments of the Constitution. The very first amendment protects the rights of citizens to worship as they please and the right not to be forced to support someone else's r...

A momentous chapter in American history is the story of the making and ratifying of the Constitution of the United States. The challenge before the Constitutional Convention was to draft a document that would harness political power in a responsible fashion. The direction of the young country&apo...

This year's State Of The Union speech was a very unique one in many ways. First off, it was extremely ambitious considering this is President Clinton's eighth and final year as President of the United States. The sheer amount of propositions brought up were mind boggling, especially fo...

Bush Vs. Gore "My plans help real Americans at every stage of their lives. From birth through the retirement years, I have a plan to improve education, lower taxes, strengthen Social Security, and provide healthcare," said Bush. In the 2000 presidential election, George Bush and Al Go...

In 1973 Roe vs. Wade made it legal for a woman to have an abortion in the United States. Since this time PRO-LIFE organizations and even Jane Roe has since tried to make abortion illegal again. What will happen to women across the country? To rape and incest victims what are they going to do? Shoul...

The ruling on Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) could be viewed as both successful and detrimental to the struggle for black equality. On the surface, the Brown ruling looks to be a great success, but a closer look reveals otherwise. The decision was a sensitive issue that took time and compromi...