Politics Questions and Answers on Presidents Speeches - Paper Example

According to President Reagan what does having a Positive View of American History Mean and what Values does the Country Stand for?

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

In the era of President Reagan, he had a different opinion on what it supposed to have a positive view of American history and which also summarized the values that the country stood for. First, Reagan acknowledges that having a positive view of American is being committed to freedom and liberty (Voices of Democracy Para. 8). Liberty and liberty mean having the ability to conduct activities without any unnecessary restrictions. However, Reagan notices that freedom and democracy can only thrive with the guidance from God. Reagan says that "freedom prospers only where the blessings of God are available" (Voices of Democracy Para. 8). It means that without God, there cannot be such values. It also suggests the existence of democracy. Two major values that President Reagan focuses on are those of concern and respect for the rule of law (Voices of Democracy Para. 12). Concern implies caring for one another while compliance with the rule of law involves upholding the provisions of the constitution. President Reagan also comments that the American history was based on protection of human rights (Voices of Democracy Para. 25). Such rights include rights of unborn children and families.

What should Modern Americans think of their Countrys Past in Regards to Race Relations according to Senator Obama?

Senator Obama had a different view on what modern Americans should think of their country's history in regards to race relations. According to Senator Obama, past racial relations were marked by inequalities (The New York Times Para. 28). The whites received better treatment than the African Americans and other minority groups. Senator Obama says that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow (The New York Times Para. 28). Jim Crow referred to laws that were enacted in the United States to promote racial segregation. Senator Obama wanted the modern Americans to think of past racial relations to be based on the exclusion of the African Americans (The New York Times Para. 29). For example, the schools in which the African Americans were educated were inferior. African Americans were prevented from doing anything that the whites did. They were not authorized to own property, to apply for certain jobs or even to gain wealth through employment.

Are these Accurate Documents Regarding the Arguments Regarding Americas Past? Why or Why not?

The accuracy of documents regarding arguments of America's past cannot be determined for different reasons. The first reason is that the existing records are not entirely understandable (Symon Para. 2). The billions of records of American history that are in the store have not all been read and as such American history has not been fully understood. Secondly, relevant documents have been lost (Symon Para. 5). Documents have been lost due to fires and damages to property among other factors. As a consequence of this, documents that would have otherwise described the American history differently are lost. Thirdly, important documents are slowly disintegrating or decomposing (Symon Para. 12). The manner in which these papers are stored makes them susceptible to destruction. For example, some documents are stored in areas where there is no free flow of oxygen, and as such, they decompose. Fourthly, some documents were forged (Symon Para. 18). Many documents have been forged for selfish interests. For example, white outs are used to change original document dates. As a result of this, it becomes difficult to determine the real American history.

Works Cited

Symon, Evan V. 6 Things you Learn Preserving Americas Past. Cracked. 2015. Web.

<http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-1818-forgeries-happen-6-realities-inside-americas-archives.html>

Voices of Democracy. Ronald Reagan, Evil Empire Speech (8 March 1983). 2017. Web.

<http://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/reagan-evil-empire-speech-text/>

The New York Times. Barrack Obamas Speech on Race 18 March 2008. Web.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/us/politics/18text-obama.html>