Declaration of Sentiments


“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly, all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled. The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise.
He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice”.

This passage is about human rights especially towards women. By creation all human beings are the equal whether women and/or man) and each born with equal rights regardless of gender. The pursuit of happiness, life and liberty freedom is something no one can take away. Also, if someone possess a power and/or are superior in which they intent to manipulate and abolish those rights away from women, give permission to women to refuse. Moreover, how woman suffered maltreatment and inequality from men.

I choose this paragraph because it is important to know how woman were victims of suppression at a certain point in life before it came to what it is today. Women were seen as creatures to serve men (almost as slaves) and there was no pity or compassion toward women because their life, liberty and happiness didn't matter. Living in today generation we actually still deal with some suppression. One of the best examples is sexism. Let's take Hillary Clinton as a prime example. People would rather vote or elect a president that doesn't show the proper qualifications rather than a woman who has years of experience. Let’s not ignore the battle now that Hillary is having in her campaign and is all about her genderism. On the other hand, its impressive how a women who were courageous fought for their rights but women will always have obstacles when it comes to their rights because main undermined it.

Revisiting the Constitution: Do Away with the Electoral College

By: Alexander Keyssar

"In a presidential election season, it seems obvious (yet again) that we should rewrite parts of Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution — so that we can dispense with the Electoral College and hold a national popular vote to choose our chief executive”.

The general focus on this passage is how this affects the popular vote. Other the hand, when talking about who wins or loses the election to be a vice president or a president it is divide into two college votes and popular votes. Choosing this paragraph makes me feel as to what is the point to vote if the state is the one that elects the president in the long run, not the people. For instance, let’s look at what happened in the election in 2000 when George W. Bush and Al Gore ran for president. Bush lost the popular vote against Gore but won the Electoral College. As a result, Bush became the president of United States. So why not chose to dispense between the Electoral College and hold a national popular vote to choose a president or a vice president. To my understanding, I feel that this topic has a lot to talk about in regards to awareness. Why spending a lot of money in campaign, advertising when in reality the peoples votes "doesn’t count".

The Federalist No. 51

Assignment # 3

 

The Federalist No. 51

The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances between the Different Departments

Independent Journal
Wednesday, February 6, 1788
[James Madison]

 

“But it is not possible to give to each department an equal power of self-defense. In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates. The remedy for this inconveniency is to divide the legislature into different branches; and to render them, by different modes of election and different principles of action, as little connected with each other as the nature of their common functions and their common dependence on the society will admit. It may even be necessary to guard against dangerous encroachments by still further precautions. As the weight of the legislative authority requires that it should be thus divided, the weakness of the executive may require, on the other hand, that it should be fortified. An absolute negative on the legislature appears, at first view, to be the natural defense with which the executive magistrate should be armed. But perhaps it would be neither altogether safe nor alone sufficient. On ordinary occasions it might not be exerted with the requisite firmness, and on extraordinary occasions it might be perfidiously abused. May not this defect of an absolute negative be supplied by some qualified connection between this weaker department and the weaker branch of the stronger department, by which the latter may be led to support the constitutional rights of the former, without being too much detached from the rights of its own department?”

 

This passage explain how power could not be divided absolutely equally due to the fact that the republican government tended to have the majority of power. Therefore, in order to have a functioning government with power equally they split the legislative branches into two different branches due to it being the strongest. This also provided a different means of elections within each branch. Splitting the branches in two gave members very little power in electing other possible members. It give citizens the power in electing members to each board instead with very little connection between each other meaning each department becomes independent rather than dependent on each other. This paper I believe goes hand in hand with the constitution and protecting liberty by making a stronger government.