The Corruption of Power

The United States Constitution reads:  ".congress shall make no law respecting...or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press;..." (1st Amendment,  1791).  The declaration gives one reason to believe that they are free in a country such as this, with "the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," (Declaration of Independence, 1776) otherwise known as property.  However, there is more behind freedom than just rights; there is also responsibility which can be distorted by certain individuals.  This distortion may appear under power, which may corrupt the things we say and do, and in many ways, limit our rights.

The rights we are granted by the First Amendment of the Constitution, guarantee the basic freedoms of speech, religion, petition, press, and assembly.  By exercising these rights, freedom can be discovered, and can also be costly.  The corruption for power is a popular factor in the decay of American rights.  The use of certain rights can be twisted and made to be wrong by powerful forces being targeted. For example, if the underdog wishes to attack the wrong doings of leaders, the underdog's accusations may be twisted undermine the real issue.  The power to distort is often give the assistance of higher authority, the government perhaps, and often lead to victory, therefore losing rights that they have originally been given.

Recent problems have occurred involving the Cincinnati Reds owner, Marge Schott.  By exercising her freedom of speech and her opinion, she was forced to lose her property, being her Major League Baseball team the Cincinnati Reds.  She stated that what Adolph Hitler did in World War II to the Jewish people was right.  To most people, this statement has many arguments that are very different from her opinion.  Given the fact that out of all Americans today, two percent are millionaires, and fifty percent of this number happen to be Jewish people; this might reinforce her belief that the persecution lead the Jewish to become a strong entity that would no be defeated.  America's leaders seem  oblivious to the corruption that they are leading, by denying the rights of one to support the powerful.  "Money is the root of all evil, and a man needs roots." (Anonymous)

Money, a primary reason that leads to corruption, comes from those who have power.  The association with money and power are very close in relation.  Freedom is granted when a government is powerful enough to support their own economy and maintain world power.  As countries strive for power, freedom that is originally given to each citizen is cut between those who have the power within their country and those who choose to exercise their freedom.  "In free countries, every man is entitled to express his opinions and every other man is entitled not to listen." (Anonymous)  By exercising one's freedom, they must be careful about how far they go to exercise it.