I admit that I know nothing about modern U.S. Politics. What I do know about politics, in general, is what they taught us in history classes, from colonization to the revolutions, and finally the Cold War. I understand that political discussion has changed a lot since the French peasants wrote the Tennis Court Oath, but I think the concepts still stand true. I also understand that putting my opinion about such controversial ideas may make me a target, but I genuinely believe that I have a right to say it for those who agree with me and cannot cast their ideas to the public. The majority of the world operates under a democracy, and every man and woman are entitled to basic forms of rights. Ever since we fought so hard for those rights, we will stop at nothing to keep them, and in light of Independence Day, I'd like to talk about them.

The United States has a tremendous impact on all of the nations of the world. We stand as a model, and our influence is everywhere because of our ability to somehow be everywhere. Troops in Pakistan and tourists in Austria cause our way of living and our values to be cast everywhere, and for us to be touched by thousands of different cultures as well. And this has been going on for a while (since the invention of triangle trade and sea transportation, to be exact!). When the French Revolution began in 1789, their motives to overthrow the government were inspired by the Americans' recent separation from Britain in 1777. Their slogan, "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity", as well as even their red, white, and blue flag colors resemble American values at its core.

The reason that I speak so much of the French Revolution is that it is relevant today, with the presidential election coming up. If America is led by someone who does not invite those in need into the sanctuary that this country is, what kind of an example would we be setting for the world? That's not to say that governments can't think for themselves, but as I said before, our influence stretches into the crevices of the globe. Would people take us seriously if were led by a leader who blames an entire religion for the terrorist acts of a few? We would be sending out a message of intolerance and hatred to millions. It is 2016, are we really going to go back 100 years, where intolerance and discrimination over one defining feature is okay? I don't know much about politics but I do know that stooping to a level where the only communication is through hateful actions, like bombing Iranian villages or suicide bombing airports in different cities, is not something that should be encouraged at all. And if we set an example where fighting bombs are met with hatred, pointing fingers and more bombs, how are we going to say it's "progressive"?

As far as the regulation of guns that is up for debate right now, I still don't have a stance, because I understand both sides. On one side we can honor a basic right that was given to us, and on the other, we can try to minimize the possibility of mentally unstable people from getting ahold of firearms. I think the reason why someone wouldn't be for banning or limiting gun possession is because it takes away part of a right that we are all guaranteed for the last 200 years. But I also realize that there could be other aspects and components of each argument that I just don't know about, which is usually the case.

I realize that I've taken a bit of a patriotic stance in saying that America sets an example for others, but we do. I also know that the people who's families were killed in the latest terrorist attack are angry and very hurt because of their loss, but I think that there is a way to handle this in a way where lives are being saved instead of used to make a statement. Maybe to get to be "the bigger man" on this, we must think outside of the box to combat this terrorism and make sure that it's safe to go into airports and movie theaters without wondering if it's the last thing you'll do.

So my point is we need a leader. A leader that can embody all of these values and more. Someone who can invoke change in a positive direction, instead of pushing us back. The only reason I would say that a democratic socialist idealism could benefit our country is because no good ever came with staying the same. If we are to change, we must consider new ideas and try to incorporate them into our systems to make them better and address issues that may trouble citizens. That's not to say that throwing out an entire constitution of policy is necessary, but change definitely is. In addition, we need a leader who is not going to destroy the environment, because, in a few years, many of these things we call normal may become scarce. Waiting until the last tree is cut down to declare a "state of emergency" should not be the way to handle this. How can we have a nation without any kind of natural resource left? We should protect this nation and its citizens, even the ones that walk on 4 legs. To invoke change we must think about what's wrong with our systems, and as Martin Luther created the 95 Theses to outline everything that needs to change, maybe we too can create something new to branch off of the old ways of doing things.

I've said some things about just a few of the issues that are under constant debate in America today. This is where I stand on these issues, and I think that I came to these conclusions based on what I was taught in all of my history classes at school. I think if we were to learn from recent history, we would definitely fare better. Nobody has to agree with my opinions, but I do think that it's the first amendment that calls for everyone to at least consider them.