Let it be a note to anyone, absolutely anyone: to never give up. No matter the circumstance. You keep fighting. Keep persevering. Your dream can come true.Background: The State of the NationThe United States is one of the largest economies in the entire world. We represent 22% of nominal global GDP and 17% of gross world product. Currently the United States GDP is $18.561 trillion and its per capita GDP is $57,293. As of 2015, we provide 77% percent of services. The United States is less focused on agriculture, showing the clear advancement of our country compared to other countries, like China, which focuses more on industry. Our unemployment rate is at 4.7% , displaying our advancement since the 1900s. Yet before Obama's two terms as president, the unemployment rate was 4.4%. While the differences in percentages seem minimal, the actual numbers are much larger. This will have to be something the Donald Trump focuses on. Overall, while the nation may seem to be prospering economically, the main problem prior to the 2016 election is the division within the nation. This is the first election, where citizens have actually rioted and really promoted their candidate. The candidates had almost completely opposite view and platforms, and it was displayed among their supporters. For example, Trump supporters would, instead of having Trump signs on their front lawns, have Hillary for Prison signs on their front lawns. Clear division among the United States of America could be shown through different views on immigration, refugees, gay marriage, legalized marijuana, ISIS, unemployment, taxes, etc. Instead of people with mixed opinions on the controversial topics, the United States almost had a red and a blue team. The main issues for candidates to express their opinions and their plans on were immigration, terrorism, unemployment, national debt, and inequality. The major issues prior to the 2016 election: Immigration- Are we going to build a wall? What are we going to do with the illegal immigrants? Terrorism- What are we going to do about ISIS? The Refugees? Unemployment- How are we going to create jobs for American citizens? How will we lower the unemployment rate? National Debt- How will we lower the national debt? Will inflation occur because of this? Inequality- How do we fix the divide among African Americans and Caucasian? How will we fix the inequality gap between men and women? How will we make American less politically divided? Candidates and their Political Position
The two other main candidates in the 2016 presidential race were Gary Johnson and Jill Stein. Gary Johnson is a member of the Libertarian Party. Jill Stein is a member of the Green Party. The 2016 Primaries
Scandals/ControversiesNobody's perfect and everyone has flaws, even the candidates of the 2016 Presidential Election. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have racked up countless scandals and controversies well before and during this year's infamous presidential election. Here are the top three scandals of Trump and Clinton. DONALD TRUMP #1) As Trump gained increasing amounts of support from across the country towards the end of the presidential race, his sandals referring to the harassment and assault towards women were amplified and investigated. Throughout the years between 1970 to 2005, Trump has been accused for sexual assault allegations on many accounts. The most recent video of Trump assaulting women has been uncovered and explicitly shows how Trump boasts about sexually assaulting women. He says, “I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything.” Further, Trump’s ex-wife Ivana Trump recently came forward accusing her ex-husband of raping her. Since this confession, several other women across the nation have also claimed that Trump has previously assaulted them. Despite his win in this year’s presidential election, Trump will be undergoing scheduled rape cases under oath this upcoming December. If Trump treats women like this, how will he take care of the working women, single mothers, and young ladies of the nation? #2) Trump is one of the wealthiest people in America, but during four times in his career, specifically in 1992, 1992, 2004, and 2009, Trump’s companies have entered and declared official bankruptcy. In the late 1980’s Trump used junk bonds to build a new casino in Atlantic City called Trump Taj Mahal. After he built the casino, he found that he nor his company could keep up with the interest payments and officially declared bankruptcy in 1991. In order to overcome this economic burden Trump was forced to sell his yacht, his airline, and half of his equity in the casino. Trump’s most recent bankruptcy, the real-estate collapse of Trump Entertainment Resorts, occurred in 2009 after it had already declared bankruptcy five last before in 2004. After realizing this economic mishap, Trump resigned from the board, but the company decided to retain his name. In 2014, Trump successfully sued to take his name off the company and its casinos. Trump was and is still a businessman, but is he capable of managing and maintain America’s most precious “company”, the US economy? #3) The United States was built from the ground up by hardworking citizens, immigrants, and migrant workers. Beginning in the 1980’s and continuing until this day, contractors, waiters, dishwashers, and plumbers who have worked alongside Trump projects and companies have declared that the company has stiffed them for work and that Trump has refused to pay for the services they provided. In fact, USA Today conducted a full investigation that led to unbelievable findings. The investigation revealed that many contracts with small, local businesses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars were unpaid for. When Trump was questioned about these scenarios, he has explained with various excuses, most commonly, it was due to the unacceptable workmanship. As president, will Trump enforce and support the earliest working foundations of America with more efficient, productive, and well rewarding jobs for the citizens of America? HILLARY CLINTON #1) Everyone is not tech-savvy nor are they trustworthy. The first thing that comes to mind when one is asked to think of a scandal of Hillary’s is the email controversy. During Clinton’s term as secretary, from 2009 to 2013, she, her husband Bill Clinton, and their top aides including Huma Abedin used a personal email account functioning off a private server to facilitate and allocated which emails received would be turned over to the State Department as public records and which to withhold throughout the entire course of the Benghazi investigation. This issue was extremely serious and compromised national security, however Clinton and her staff did not receive any criminal charges. However, after an FBI investigation they stated, “Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.” If Hillary were elected president, would she have been able to be trusted with the nation’s security and future in her hands after an incident like this? #2) Most people will do anything for the right amount of money. In the beginning of 2001, after Bill Clinton left the White House, until the present day, Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill Clinton have been delivering unknown speeches to unknown people in return of several million dollars. To many, this seems just a little suspicious however when analyzed, these accounts can take a turn for the worse. In fact, when Bernie Sanders and Clinton were competing the Democratic nominee, Sanders revealed that Clinton was speaking to various banks, including Goldman Sachs, about unknown information. She refused to reveal the transcripts of her speeches, which leaves the topic of them completely unknown. For all we know, she may be sharing the secrets of the White House or potentially compromising national security. Another problem arises, and that is the money and where does it end up? Investigators have traced back the millions of dollars to the Clinton’s personal foundation called The Clinton Foundation. The Clintons claim that the money is going towards charities, however many are convinced that the millions are serving as personal income. As president, one may be the most viewed as the most open and public figure in the country, would Clinton have been able to fulfill that role and diminish all of the secrets she keeps? #3) Many, but not all, personal foundations and charities are skeptical. In 1997, the Clintons created their own personal foundation called The Clinton Foundation. This foundation’s purpose was to be a platform for various types of worldwide problems and issues such as public health, elephant poaching protection, and even small-business assistance and child development. This foundation of Hillary’s was a great boost for her campaign as she ran for president this year, however some components of her foundation such as its credibility and true purpose were questioned. Philanthropists investigated The Clinton Foundation and found that the money that they organization receives doesn’t seem to have achieved its intended purpose. In fact, the foundation made errors in its tax returns and little evidence shows that the money raised actually reached the places in need. This questionable scenario increases the suspiciousness of Hillary’s intentions and motives to become president of the United States. If she had won the presidential race, would Clinton have obtained prestigious characteristics such as accountability, reliability, and trustworthiness in nation needs from a president? Scandals have proved to create mishaps and misfortunes in the past, however the mistakes our presidential candidates made have instilled experiences and lessons that will help contribute to their success to becoming a better person, or president, in the future. DebatesThe first debate set the record as the most-watched debate in American history, with 84 million viewers across the 13 channels that carried it live and were counted by Nielsen, surpassing the previous record of 80.6 million viewers set by the debate between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in 1980. These numbers do not account for the millions of viewers who watched the debates online and the people who watched the debate at parties, bars, restaurants, and offices. Hillary Clinton was considered to have won all three presidential debates by scientific opinion polls of likely voters. Writing on September 28, FiveThirtyEight found that every scientific poll so far suggests that voters thought Hillary Clinton performed better than Donald Trump in the debate. The first portion of the second debate was dominated by discussion of a tape of Trump making lewd comments about women to Billy Bush, which had been leaked two days earlier. At one point in the debate, Trump raised the issue of Hillary Clinton's emails. Trump's claim that he won the second debate with Hillary Clinton "in a landslide" in "every poll" was found to be false by Politifact, which noted that "not only did Trump not win by a landslide margin, he didn’t win any of the polls at all". According to Nielsen, approximately 66.5 million people watched the second presidential debate on television across 11 networks. YouTube reported 1.5 million peak live streams and 124 million views on debate-related videos as of October 11. The format of the third debate mirrored that of the first debate: 90 minutes divided into six topical segments of approximately 15 minutes each. The moderator began each segment with a question and gave each candidate two minutes, followed by facilitated discussion between the two candidates, with each receiving approximately equal time. Questions were at the sole discretion of the moderator. A poll by the CBS News Battleground Tracker of viewers in 13 swing states found that 49% of voters in those states thought that Clinton won the debate, while 39% thought Trump won, with 12% calling it a tie. According to Nielsen, approximately 71.6 million people watched the third presidential debate on television across 13 networks. YouTube reported 1.7 million peak live streams and 140 million views on debate-related videos as of October 20. An Associated Press/GfK poll, which asked respondents about the candidates' performance in all three debates, found that 69% thought that Clinton performed better while 29% thought that Trump did. Last Night (Election)On Tuesday, November 8, 2016, the Republican Party nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and his running mate, incumbent Governor of Indiana Mike Pence, defeated the Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and her running mate, incumbent Senator Tim Kaine. The US Elections Project estimates that 128.8 million Americans cast a ballot in 2016, out of 231 million eligible voters—a turnout rate of 55.6 percent. Trump is expected to take office as the 45th President on January 20, 2017; Mike Pence will take office as the 48th Vice President. Some consensus among political pundits developed throughout the primary election season regarding swing states. From the results of presidential elections from 2004 through to 2012, generally the Democratic and Republican parties start with a safe electoral vote count of about 150 to 200. The margins required to constitute a swing state are vague, however, and local factors can come into play. Left-leaning states in the Rust Belt could become more conservative, as Trump mostly appeals to blue-collar workers. They represent a large portion of the American populace and were a major factor in Trump's eventual nomination. Trump's primary campaign was propelled by victories in Democratic states, and his supporters often did not identify as Republican. Among the Republican-leaning states, potential Democratic targets included Nebraska's second congressional district, Georgia, and Arizona. Trump's relatively poor polling in some traditionally Republican states, such as Utah, raised the possibility they could vote for Clinton, despite easy wins there by recent Republican nominees. Many analysts asserted that Utah is not a viable Democratic destination. The election was held on November 8, 2016. Hillary Clinton cast her vote in the New York City suburb of Chappaqua, while Donald Trump voted in a Manhattan public school. Throughout the day, the election process went more smoothly than many had expected, with only a few reports of long lines, and equipment issues. Early exit polls favored the democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. However, as polls closed and the results came in throughout the night, those exit polls and forecasts proved inaccurate as the Republican candidate performed surprisingly well in battleground states, especially Florida, Ohio and North Carolina. Even Wisconsin and Michigan, states that were predicted to swing blue, were won by Donald Trump. On November 9, 2016, at 3:00 AM Eastern time, Donald Trump secured over 270 electoral votes, the majority of the 538 electors in the electoral college, enough to make him the president-elect of the United States. The victory, considered unlikely and even "impossible" by most pre-election forecasts, was characterized as an 'upset' and as 'shocking' by the media. The 2016 presidential election may become the fifth election in U.S. history in which the eventual winner failed to win the popular vote (after the elections of 1824, 1876, 1888, and 2000). Six states plus a portion of Maine that Obama won in 2012 switched to Trump. These states are Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Maine. Trump won exactly 100 more electoral college votes than Mitt Romney in 2012. The Trump victory, considered unlikely by most pre-election forecasts, was characterized as an 'upset' and as 'shocking' by the media. SignificanceThe 2016 Presidential Election was the most important election to our generation and according to sources, its results can potentially instill in the most change America has dwelled upon in the last century.
For the majority of the teenage population, we have enjoyed 8 years of Obama’s two-term presidency, so no matter the outcome of the 2016 Presidential race, the spot in the White House was officially up for grabs as well as the position for his or her right-hand man. This election presented hope and optimism for a change in presidential parties for the presidency as well as the Senate and House. The Supreme Court’s judges and justices will also be affected by this year’s election in that Trump now has the power to replace a few judges with his recommended judges and justices. With new judges comes new perspectives on law, crime, justice, and equality. When January of 2017 comes along, the nation’s future will be resting in the hands of a businessman, a father, a husband, a republican, but most importantly the man who has won the votes of America. He will bring attention to the dire situations the country is facing in this trying time such as immigration, same sex marriage, education, gun control, the list goes on. While the presidential race was an aggressive political battle, this election was the first to include and potentially carry through with some of the “firsts” the country has seen. Hillary could’ve been the first woman president. Marco Rubio could’ve been the first Hispanic president. Bernie Sanders could’ve been the first Jewish president. Ben Carson could’ve been the first M.D. president. And Donald Trump is the first billionaire president of the United States of America. The next four years are unpredictable, however it’s safe to say that America voted and America agreed that the reigns of our country’s future are in hands of Donald Trump and he will do his best to make America great again.
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Through the years 1839-1839 the country's coveted president Andrew Jackson carried out his Indian Removal Policy in hopes of recovering and gaining land to expand the growing nation of the United States.
One day in a small house in the colony of Roanoke, a young boy, Henry, got into a terrible fight with his parents. Henry, upset, ran out the door and away from his parents. His mother and father figured that he'd come back in an hour or two, so they didn't go after him.
As the sun started to set, his mother became very worried as Henry still hadn't returned, and it was getting dark. Henry's father told her not to worry, that Henry would come home by morning. That night, the ghost of Henry visited his mother in her dreams, telling her to go find him in the woods, that her son had been killed there. His mother woke with a start from the nightmare. She saw that it was dawn, and for some odd reason, found herself getting out of bed and leaving the house. Just as Henry had told her to, she walked into the woods. To her horror, she found the body of her dead son. Without even having time to mourn for poor Henry, there was the sound of a gun being shot, and Henry's mother dropped to the ground and died next to her son. Just as this was happening, Henry's father had just woken up. He looked around in confusion, seeing that his wife was nowhere to be found. He called out for her, but there was no answer. He rushed out of his house and asked around the village to see if anyone had seen his wife. Finally, someone told him that they'd seen her enter the woods. Hurriedly, he entered the woods in search of his wife. He cried out in agony when he saw his dead wife and son at his feet. He looked around frantically to try and find the culprit. Then, just as what happened to his wife, there was a gunshot, and he fell to the ground, dying with his family. In a fit of rage and despair, Henry and his family killed off every single person in the village in their sleep. Their bodies were never found, and the only indication that something had happened was the word "CROATOAN" carved into a post on the fence by the woods that Henry and his family died in. They never found out who had taken their lives, so they haunt the woods in despair. People say that if you ever enter those woods and see that word carved into the post, then that night, you will be visited by the tortured souls of young Henry and his family. By Skylar Harrison Jonathan Rauch's article "How American Politics Went Insane" describes how the 2016 Presidential Debate will infect the American population and warp America's future for the worse. His disgusted tone and incorporation of astonishing facts leaves his audience shocked to say the least--I can't fathom a successful future for our country with the ongoing war between the candidates and the turmoil their policies and ideas may put the American population through.
Before the Republican and Democratic candidates withered down to just Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. The Republican and Democratic parties may have taken the position and privilege of president even less seriously than our current front runners. Did you know that during the presidential primaries, hip hop artist Kanye West was leading a fractured field of Democrats? Did you know that the Duck Dynasty reality TV star Phil Robertson was the Republican front-runner after being elected governor of Louisiana? The presidency and essential control over the entire country should not and cannot be taken lightly. With access to arguably the most historical and coveted home in America and a ticket to meet every celebrity around the world comes the responsibility of being America's caretaker, bodyguard, and everything in between. I think it's evident that no ordinary person can take upon this position. While Clinton and Trump bicker like children on national television during serious Presidential Debates, it reveals the maturity and patience they both possess. Does anyone want our President to harass women, to encourage abortions, or to be inconsiderate and rude? Hauch introduces the term "chaos syndrome" in his article and describes it was "a chronic decline in the political system's capacity for self-organization." It essentially describes a devastating domino effect. Beginning with a poor and inadequate leader, then leads to the weakening of congressional leaders and committees working underneath the leader, and even further the potential decline of the nation's social and economic areas of interests. A great nation begins with a powerful, qualified, driven leader. Will our generation endure chaos syndrome for the next 4 years due to unmet necessities of America (leadership, collaboration, diversity, community)? November 8, 2016 will be an infamous day in history, marking the disintegration of the United States of America. Response for Morning Discussion Written by Diane Hwang |
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