Prompt
Consider how the subjects of identity and community apply to the idea that people have the right to freely elect their representatives in government. Then, for your midterm essay, write an essay that discusses your observations.
Essay
Freedom to elect a representative in government is a crucial issue that many societies in the world strive to obtain. There are many instances in which people have fought publicly in order to acquire this liberty; such as the American Revolution, where British citizens seceded from Great Britain in order to live freely from a monarchical rule. Irrespective to time and place, humans have striven to freely elect officials into government seats. The root of the idea comes from the many differing beliefs people of dissimilar cultures possess, and their constant desire to change undesirable regulations, and according to Latterell's second assumption on identity, "identity is shaped by culture" (remix, 9). Personal beliefs and community attitudes are able to find healthy expression through the medium of free elections and determine course and outcome of such elections.
Religious scriptures and morals greatly define how a man perceives his world and makes advancements in his life. When these beliefs are challenged by an individual, or even an entire community, the question of who is right comes into play. The U.S. presidential election is an important time when religious beliefs clash. A notable topic is that of abortion, specifically the ruling in Roe V. Wade, where the U.S. court system ruled that woman were allowed abortions as long as they followed a state's regulations. Many fundamentalist Christian groups believe that abortion is murder, interpreting from the original ten commandments of Christianity; however, many members of society also believe that whether abortion is deemed murder or not, what is at stake is a woman's body and it should be the woman's choice with what she does with her body. Religious beliefs greatly affect the perceptions of an individual, and can ultimately decide their view points on certain topics. How far people believe that one religion must govern all of society would greatly affect the outcome of a free election.
Regional affiliation can determine a person's stand points and views on society. In the United States, cultures are divided amongst regions of the country. The traditional values of individual regions greatly condition and determine the personal and communal beliefs of the people in those regions, like Latterell suggests in her second assumption on community, "communities provide us with stability" (remix, 97). For example, citizens of the North East are more likely to side with liberal concepts and ideas, whereas citizens of the South will associate themselves with more conservative beliefs. Conflicting views will surely affect the manner in which societies are run. Elections provide these people with an opportunity to voice their individual opinions and have a say in government. Differences in regional beliefs greatly affect how a nation will prosper or decay. The American Civil War of 1861 momentarily caused a split between the northern and southern states because of the view on slavery. The South, who believed in slavery, seceded from the U.S. and attempted to form a separate country. The result was the bloodiest war to ever be fought on American soil, and a victory for the oppressed and those with democratic values. Conflict between two regions of a single nation caused a split that scarred the face of America. Free elections allow for the movement of ideas among people and their government, and bond together citizens of different regions.
Recently, in the Arab world, there have been revolts against the government by citizens demanding free elections. The rebellion was caused by a lack of acknowledgment of the society's needs, many of which were social issues. With rulers who disregarded the requests of the people, members of the society found no other option but to publicly protest against the government. Egypt for example, faced many social issues such as economic decline, unemployment, extreme poverty, and a number of demographic structural factors. When all was said and done, the Egyptians were finally able to overthrow President Mubarak and hold their first democratic election. The social beliefs held by the entire nation were strong enough for the people to band together and cause social changes. This way, the individuals who believed strongly that change was possible were able to get communities together and better an entire society through the use of free elections.
Political affiliation in the United States is part of an individual's identity. Where there is a two party system, people fall into the Democratic and Republican communities, one liberal and one conservative respectively. Permitting people to have their own individual preferences and political beliefs is one of the integral and praiseworthy aspects of free elections, because votes are given to the candidate who best represents those beliefs. The current U.S. presidential election has had many people hanging on a leash. "This guy is better because he'll create jobs" and "This guy is better because he will provide free healthcare" are topics that commonly are up for discussion. Depending on one's political views there will be opposition to one candidate or the other, and with the implementation of free elections, people are able to voice their opinion privately. Though we may feel that one candidate is better than the other, communal beliefs can interfere with that decision. Privacy allows for free elections to truly voice the opinion of a person on his beliefs of political policies. Political changes cannot occur when the voices of each individual cannot be voiced, and when free elections are utilized, it better represents the views of the community in a collective way.
Representation in government is beneficial to the progress of society, both to the community and the individual. Beliefs that are shared among a community greatly affect how an election can turn out and whether an individual has his voiced heard. When free elections are taken for granted, not only is societal progression halted, but individuals are affected equally affected as well. Beliefs will always be a crucial factor in free elections, and it is the duty of an individual and a community to see that they find expression.
