Essay/Term paper: The corruption of power

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Politics

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.